Second to Nanosecond Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

Convert seconds to nanoseconds with our free online time converter.

From:

Second

To:

Nanosecond

How to Use the Calculator:

Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Second).
The converted value in Nanosecond will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Time category.
Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.

How to Convert Second to Nanosecond

Converting Second to Nanosecond involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.

Formula:

1 Second = 1.0000e+9 nanoseconds

Example Calculation:

Convert 60 seconds: 60 × 1.0000e+9 = 6.0000e+10 nanoseconds

Disclaimer: For Reference Only

These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.

Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.

What is a Second and a Nanosecond?

The second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined by taking the fixed numerical value of the caesium frequency ΔνCs, the unperturbed ground-state hyperfine transition frequency of the caesium-133 atom, to be 9,192,631,770 when expressed in the unit Hz, which is equal to s⁻¹.

A nanosecond is a unit of time equal to one-billionth (1/1,000,000,000) of a second. It is also 1/1000th of a microsecond.

Note: The Second is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Nanosecond belongs to the imperial/US customary system.

History of the Second and Nanosecond

Historically, the second was defined as 1/86,400 of a mean solar day. However, variations in the Earth's rotation led to the need for a more precise, constant definition. The atomic definition based on the caesium-133 atom was adopted in 1967.

The nanosecond is derived from the SI base unit, the second, using the metric prefix 'nano-', indicating a factor of 10⁻⁹. Measurements at this timescale became necessary with the development of very high-speed computing, advanced physics, and optical communications.

Common Uses for seconds and nanoseconds

Explore the typical applications for both Second (imperial/US) and Nanosecond (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.

Common Uses for seconds

Base Unit: The fundamental unit for all time measurements in science, engineering, and daily life.
Timing: Used universally for clocks, watches, timers, and scheduling.
Physics: Essential in defining derived units like velocity (meters per second), acceleration (meters per second squared), frequency (Hertz, or cycles per second), and force (Newtons).
Computing: Used as a base for measuring intervals, timeouts, and durations, although often subdivided into milliseconds, microseconds, or nanoseconds for finer measurements.
Everyday Life: Counting heartbeats, measuring short durations, coordinating activities.

Common Uses for nanoseconds

Computing: Measuring RAM access times, CPU clock cycles (e.g., a 3 GHz processor has a clock cycle of about 0.33 ns), L1/L2 cache access times.
Physics: Lifetimes of very short-lived particles, timing in nuclear reactions, duration of mode-locked laser pulses.
Electronics: Signal propagation time on circuit boards and integrated circuits. Light travels approximately 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) in one nanosecond in a vacuum.
Telecommunications: Timing in optical fiber communications.
Chemistry: Studying ultrafast chemical reactions using spectroscopy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Second (s)

What is the base unit of time in the SI system?

The second (s) is the base unit of time.

Why is the second defined using atoms?

The atomic definition provides a much more stable and precise standard than relying on the Earth's rotation, which fluctuates slightly.

How many seconds are in a minute?

There are 60 seconds in a minute.

How many seconds are in an hour?

There are 3,600 seconds in an hour (60 seconds/minute * 60 minutes/hour).

About Nanosecond (ns)

How many nanoseconds are in one second?

There are 1,000,000,000 (one billion) nanoseconds in a second.

How many nanoseconds are in one microsecond?

There are 1,000 nanoseconds in a microsecond.

How far does light travel in one nanosecond?

In a vacuum, light travels approximately 29.98 centimeters (about 0.98 feet) in one nanosecond.

Conversion Table: Second to Nanosecond

Second (s)	Nanosecond (ns)
1	1,000,000,000
5	5,000,000,000
10	10,000,000,000
25	25,000,000,000
50	50,000,000,000
100	100,000,000,000
500	500,000,000,000
1,000	1,000,000,000,000

All Time Conversions

Second to Minute Second to Hour Second to Day Second to Week Second to Month Second to Year Second to Millisecond Second to Microsecond Second to Decade Second to Century Second to Millennium Second to Fortnight Second to Planck Time Second to Shake Second to Sidereal Day Second to Sidereal Year Minute to Second Minute to Hour Minute to Day Minute to Week Minute to Month Minute to Year Minute to Millisecond Minute to Microsecond Minute to Nanosecond Minute to Decade Minute to Century Minute to Millennium Minute to Fortnight Minute to Planck Time Minute to Shake Minute to Sidereal Day Minute to Sidereal Year Hour to Second Hour to Minute Hour to Day Hour to Week Hour to Month Hour to Year Hour to Millisecond Hour to Microsecond Hour to Nanosecond Hour to Decade Hour to Century Hour to Millennium Hour to Fortnight Hour to Planck Time Hour to Shake Hour to Sidereal Day Hour to Sidereal Year Day to Second Day to Minute Day to Hour Day to Week Day to Month Day to Year Day to Millisecond Day to Microsecond Day to Nanosecond Day to Decade Day to Century Day to Millennium Day to Fortnight Day to Planck Time Day to Shake Day to Sidereal Day Day to Sidereal Year Week to Second Week to Minute Week to Hour Week to Day Week to Month Week to Year Week to Millisecond Week to Microsecond Week to Nanosecond Week to Decade Week to Century Week to Millennium Week to Fortnight Week to Planck Time Week to Shake Week to Sidereal Day Week to Sidereal Year Month to Second Month to Minute Month to Hour Month to Day Month to Week Month to Year Month to Millisecond Month to Microsecond Month to Nanosecond Month to Decade Month to Century Month to Millennium Month to Fortnight Month to Planck Time Month to Shake Month to Sidereal Day Month to Sidereal Year Year to Second Year to Minute Year to Hour Year to Day Year to Week Year to Month Year to Millisecond Year to Microsecond Year to Nanosecond Year to Decade Year to Century Year to Millennium Year to Fortnight Year to Planck Time Year to Shake Year to Sidereal Day Year to Sidereal Year Millisecond to Second Millisecond to Minute