Minute (min) - Unit Information & Conversion

Quick Answer

A minute is 60 seconds or 1/60 of an hour (approximately 0.0167 hours). It's the most practical unit for measuring everyday activities from cooking times to meeting durations. The name comes from Latin pars minuta prima meaning "first small part"—the first division of an hour into 60 parts, versus the second small part (seconds) which divides minutes further.

Real-world perspective: One minute is the time it takes to microwave a quick snack, brush your teeth thoroughly, walk about 100 meters at a normal pace, complete 15-20 jumping jacks, read this paragraph carefully, or hold a plank exercise position.

Quick Comparison Table

Duration	Minutes	Seconds	Hours	Decimal Hours
Microwave popcorn	2.5-3 min	150-180 sec	0.042-0.05 hr	0.042-0.05
Pop song	3-4 min	180-240 sec	0.05-0.067 hr	0.05-0.067
Commercial break	3 min	180 sec	0.05 hr	0.05
Short meditation	5 min	300 sec	0.083 hr	~0.083
Boil an egg (soft)	6-7 min	360-420 sec	0.1-0.117 hr	0.1-0.117
Shower	8-10 min	480-600 sec	0.133-0.167 hr	0.133-0.167
TEDx talk (short)	10 min	600 sec	0.167 hr	~0.167
Coffee brewing	4 min	240 sec	0.067 hr	~0.067
Quick commute walk	15 min	900 sec	0.25 hr	0.25
TV sitcom (no ads)	22 min	1,320 sec	0.367 hr	~0.367
Half-hour show (net)	22-24 min	1,320-1,440 sec	0.367-0.4 hr	0.367-0.4
Lunch break	30 min	1,800 sec	0.5 hr	0.5
University lecture	50 min	3,000 sec	0.833 hr	~0.833
Soccer match half	45 min	2,700 sec	0.75 hr	0.75
Full hour	60 min	3,600 sec	1 hr	1.0

Definition

The minute (symbol: min) is a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60 of an hour (exactly 0.016̄ hours, or approximately 0.0167 hours).

Official SI-derived definition: Since the second was redefined atomically in 1967, one minute equals exactly 60 seconds, where each second is the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of radiation from caesium-133 atoms. Therefore:

• 1 minute = 60 × 9,192,631,770 = 551,558,906,200 caesium-133 oscillations

Practical conversions:

• 1 minute = 60 seconds (exact)
• 1 minute = 0.016666... hours (1/60 hr, exact)
• 1 hour = 60 minutes (exact)
• 1 day = 1,440 minutes (24 × 60)
• 1 week = 10,080 minutes (7 × 24 × 60)
• 1 year (365 days) = 525,600 minutes (memorably featured in the musical Rent)

The minute is not an SI base unit, but it is accepted for use with the SI alongside hours, days, and other traditional time units due to its universal cultural importance and practical utility.

Why 60?

The choice of 60 comes from ancient Babylonian sexagesimal (base-60) mathematics, developed around 3000 BCE. The Babylonians chose 60 because it's highly divisible:

• Factors of 60: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, 60 (12 factors!)
• This makes fractions like 1/2 (30 min), 1/3 (20 min), 1/4 (15 min), 1/5 (12 min), 1/6 (10 min) all whole numbers
• Contrast with decimal: 100 only has factors 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50, 100 (9 factors, and divisions like 1/3 = 33.33...)

This mathematical convenience made base-60 ideal for astronomy, geometry, and timekeeping—fields requiring frequent division. The system persists today in our 60-minute hours, 60-second minutes, and 360-degree circles (6 × 60).

History of the Minute

Ancient Babylonian Origins (c. 3000 BCE)

The foundation of the minute lies in the Sumerian and Babylonian sexagesimal (base-60) number system developed in ancient Mesopotamia around 3000 BCE. The Babylonians used this system for:

1. Astronomical calculations: Dividing the celestial sphere and tracking planetary movements
2. Geometric measurements: Dividing circles into 360 degrees (6 × 60)
3. Mathematical computations: Facilitating complex fractions and divisions
4. Calendar systems: Organizing time into convenient subdivisions

Cuneiform tablets from this era show sophisticated astronomical observations recorded using base-60 divisions, laying groundwork for the eventual minute.

Greek Astronomical Adoption (150 CE)

The ancient Greeks, particularly Claudius Ptolemy (c. 100-170 CE), formalized the division of hours and degrees into 60 parts in his astronomical treatise Almagest. Ptolemy used Latin terminology inherited from earlier traditions:

• "pars minuta prima" (first minute/small part) = 1/60 of a degree or hour → modern minute
• "pars minuta secunda" (second minute/small part) = 1/60 of a minute = 1/3600 of a degree/hour → modern second

These terms were primarily used for angular measurement in astronomy and navigation (describing positions of stars and planets), not yet for practical daily timekeeping.

Medieval Islamic and European Transmission (800-1300 CE)

During the Islamic Golden Age (8th-13th centuries), Arab astronomers and mathematicians preserved and expanded on Greek astronomical texts, continuing to use the 60-part division system.

When European scholars translated Arabic astronomical manuscripts in the 12th and 13th centuries (particularly at translation centers in Toledo, Spain, and Sicily), they reintroduced the Latin terms "pars minuta prima" and "pars minuta secunda" to European scholarship.

However, these remained primarily theoretical and astronomical units. Practical timekeeping in medieval Europe relied on:

• Sundials (showing hours)
• Water clocks (clepsydrae)
• Candle clocks (burning time)
• Church bells marking canonical hours (Matins, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline)

None of these devices tracked minutes—they were too imprecise, and daily life didn't require such granularity.

Mechanical Clocks Emerge—But No Minute Hands (1300s)

The first mechanical clocks appeared in Europe around 1280-1300, installed in church towers and public buildings. Early examples include:

• Salisbury Cathedral clock (England, c. 1386) - still running, one of the oldest working clocks
• Wells Cathedral clock (England, c. 1390)
• Prague Astronomical Clock (Czech Republic, 1410)

Crucially, these early clocks had only an HOUR hand. They were too inaccurate (losing or gaining 15-30 minutes per day) to justify displaying minutes. The concept of "being on time" to the minute was essentially meaningless when clocks could drift that much daily.

Pendulum Revolution: Minutes Become Meaningful (1656)

The transformative moment for minute-level timekeeping came with Christiaan Huygens' invention of the pendulum clock in 1656. This invention improved timekeeping accuracy from errors of 15 minutes per day to less than 15 seconds per day—a roughly 60-fold improvement.

Why pendulums revolutionized accuracy:

• A pendulum's swing period depends only on its length and gravity (Galileo's discovery, 1602)
• Length is constant → period is constant → highly regular "tick"
• Formula: Period = 2π√(L/g), where L = length, g = gravitational acceleration
• A 1-meter pendulum has a period of approximately 2 seconds—perfect for timekeeping

With this accuracy, displaying minutes became both practical and necessary. Clockmakers began adding minute hands to clock faces around 1660-1680.

Minute Hands Become Standard (1670-1750)

By the late 17th century:

• 1670s: Quality clocks routinely featured minute hands
• 1680s: Balance spring invention (Huygens and Robert Hooke) further improved accuracy, enabling portable watches to track minutes
• 1700s: Minute display became universal on both public clocks and personal timepieces
• 1761: John Harrison's H4 marine chronometer achieved extraordinary accuracy (losing only 5 seconds on a 81-day voyage), revolutionizing navigation

The minute transformed from an astronomical abstraction to a practical daily measurement, changing social organization fundamentally.

Societal Impact: The "Minute Culture" (1800s)

The 19th century saw the rise of minute-precise scheduling, driven by:

1. Railroad timetables (1840s onward):

   • Trains required synchronized schedules to prevent collisions
   • Railway time standardized clocks across regions
   • Timetables specified arrivals/departures to the minute
   • This drove development of time zones and standard time

2. Factory work and "time discipline" (Industrial Revolution):

   • Factory shifts started at precise times (e.g., 7:00 AM, not "dawn")
   • Workers punched time clocks tracking arrival to the minute
   • The concept of "being late" became economically significant
   • Frederick Winslow Taylor's "scientific management" (1880s-1910s) measured work tasks in minutes and seconds

3. Urban life coordination:

   • Meeting times specified to the minute
   • Public transportation schedules
   • School bell systems marking class periods

This represented a profound cultural shift: pre-industrial societies organized time around seasonal cycles, sunlight, and approximate "hours." Industrial society required minute-level coordination of human activity.

Atomic Age: Minutes Defined by Seconds (1967-Present)

When the second was redefined in 1967 based on caesium-133 atomic oscillations (9,192,631,770 cycles = 1 second), the minute automatically inherited this precision:

1 minute = exactly 60 × 9,192,631,770 caesium oscillations = 551,558,906,200 caesium oscillations

Modern atomic clocks maintain this definition with extraordinary stability, losing less than 1 second in 100 million years. This means the minute is now defined with sub-nanosecond precision, far beyond any practical human need but essential for:

• GPS systems (requiring nanosecond synchronization)
• Financial trading (high-frequency trading in microseconds)
• Telecommunications (network synchronization)
• Scientific experiments (particle physics, gravitational wave detection)

The "525,600 Minutes" Cultural Moment (1996)

In 1996, the musical Rent by Jonathan Larson opened on Broadway, featuring the iconic song "Seasons of Love," which begins:

"Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes... How do you measure, measure a year?"

This number—525,600 minutes = 365 days × 24 hours × 60 minutes—became a cultural touchstone, highlighting the minute as a unit for measuring the passage of life itself, not just scheduling appointments.

Real-World Examples

1. Cooking and Food Preparation

Minutes are the fundamental unit for recipe timing:

• Microwave cooking:

  • Reheat leftovers: 1-3 minutes
  • Pop popcorn: 2.5-3 minutes
  • Steam vegetables: 4-5 minutes
  • Baked potato: 8-10 minutes

• Boiling:

  • Soft-boiled egg: 6-7 minutes
  • Medium-boiled egg: 9-10 minutes
  • Hard-boiled egg: 12-13 minutes
  • Pasta (al dente): 8-12 minutes depending on type
  • Rice (white): 15-18 minutes
  • Rice (brown): 40-45 minutes

• Baking:

  • Cookies: 10-15 minutes
  • Muffins: 18-22 minutes
  • Pizza (frozen): 12-15 minutes
  • Bread rolls: 15-20 minutes
  • Roast chicken: 60-90 minutes (20 minutes per pound)

• Coffee and tea:

  • French press coffee: 4 minutes steep
  • Pour-over coffee: 3-4 minutes brew time
  • Espresso extraction: 25-30 seconds (0.4-0.5 minutes)
  • Black tea: 3-5 minutes steep
  • Green tea: 2-3 minutes steep (longer = bitter)
  • Herbal tea: 5-7 minutes steep

Why minutes matter: Under-cooking by 2 minutes can leave pasta hard; over-steeping tea by 2 minutes makes it astringent. Recipe precision to the minute directly affects food quality.

2. Exercise and Fitness

Workout intervals, rest periods, and total duration are measured in minutes:

• Cardio durations:

  • Warm-up: 5-10 minutes
  • HIIT interval: 20-30 minutes
  • Moderate jog: 30-45 minutes
  • Long run: 60+ minutes

• Interval training:

  • Tabata protocol: 4 minutes (8 rounds of 20 sec work / 10 sec rest)
  • Sprint intervals: 1 minute sprint, 2 minutes recovery
  • Circuit training: 45 seconds work, 15 seconds rest per station

• Strength training rest periods:

  • Between strength sets: 2-5 minutes (for heavy lifting)
  • Between hypertrophy sets: 1-2 minutes
  • Between endurance sets: 30-60 seconds

• Specific exercises:

  • Plank hold: Target 1-3 minutes
  • Wall sit: Target 1-2 minutes
  • Jump rope: 1 minute = approximately 120-140 jumps
  • Running 1 mile: 6-12 minutes (depending on fitness level)

• Class formats:

  • Spin class: 45-60 minutes
  • Yoga class: 60-90 minutes
  • CrossFit WOD: 10-30 minutes
  • Zumba: 60 minutes

Fitness apps (Strava, Peloton, Apple Fitness+) track workout duration, pace (minutes per mile/km), and interval timing all in minutes and seconds.

3. Transportation and Commuting

Travel times are universally expressed in minutes for short-to-medium distances:

• Walking:

  • Average speed: 80-100 meters per minute (3-4 mph)
  • City block: 1-2 minutes
  • 1 kilometer: 12-15 minutes
  • 1 mile: 15-20 minutes

• Cycling:

  • Leisurely: 10-12 minutes per mile
  • Commuter pace: 6-8 minutes per mile
  • Fast road cycling: 3-4 minutes per mile

• Public transit:

  • Subway stops: 2-3 minutes apart
  • Bus stops: 1-2 minutes apart
  • Light rail: 3-5 minutes between stations
  • "The bus comes every 10 minutes"

• Urban driving:

  • Green light cycle: 1-3 minutes
  • Parking time: 5-10 minutes average
  • Short errands: "Just 15 minutes to the grocery store"

• Navigation apps:

  • Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps show "15 min" or "22 min" arrival times
  • Update every minute as traffic changes
  • "Alternate route saves 3 minutes"

Ride-sharing: Uber/Lyft show "Driver arriving in 4 min" and "Trip duration: 18 min."

4. Workplace and Meetings

Modern workplace culture revolves around minute-based scheduling:

• Meeting durations (Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar default slots):

  • Quick sync: 15 minutes
  • Standard meeting: 30 minutes
  • Extended discussion: 60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Workshop/training: 90-120 minutes

• Agile/Scrum ceremonies:

  • Daily standup: 15 minutes (strict)
  • Sprint planning: 120 minutes (2 hours) per 2-week sprint
  • Sprint retrospective: 90 minutes
  • Backlog refinement: 60 minutes

• Break schedules:

  • Coffee break: 15 minutes
  • Lunch break: 30-60 minutes
  • Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes work, 5 minutes break

• Presentation time limits:

  • Elevator pitch: 2 minutes
  • Lightning talk: 5 minutes
  • Conference talk: 20 minutes
  • Keynote: 45-60 minutes
  • TED Talk: Maximum 18 minutes (strict format)

Calendar culture: Back-to-back 30-minute meetings have become controversial for causing "Zoom fatigue," leading companies like Microsoft to introduce 25-minute default meetings to provide built-in transition time.

5. Entertainment and Media

Media content is precisely timed in minutes:

• Music:

  • Pop song: 3-4 minutes average
  • Extended mix: 5-8 minutes
  • Classical symphony movement: 8-15 minutes
  • Album length: 35-60 minutes

• Video content:

  • YouTube optimal length: 7-15 minutes (for algorithm)
  • TikTok: Maximum 10 minutes (started at 15 seconds)
  • Instagram Reels: Maximum 90 seconds (1.5 minutes)
  • Vine (defunct): 6 seconds (0.1 minutes)

• Television:

  • Commercial break: 2-3 minutes
  • Sitcom (without ads): 22 minutes
  • Drama episode (without ads): 42-44 minutes
  • Reality show segment: 8-12 minutes between commercials

• Film credits:

  • Opening credits: 2-5 minutes
  • End credits: 5-10 minutes (Marvel post-credits scenes typically at 3-4 minutes in)

• Gaming:

  • Mobile game session: 5-15 minutes
  • Fortnite match: 15-25 minutes
  • League of Legends match: 25-45 minutes
  • "AFK for 5 minutes" (away from keyboard)

6. Healthcare and Medicine

Medical procedures and vital signs often use minute-based measurements:

• Vital signs:

  • Heart rate: 60-100 beats per minute (resting adult)
  • Athletes: 40-60 bpm resting
  • Respiratory rate: 12-20 breaths per minute (adult)
  • Newborn respiratory rate: 30-60 breaths per minute

• Medication timing:

  • "Take every 4 hours" = every 240 minutes
  • Insulin timing: 15-30 minutes before meals
  • Emergency aspirin: Chew and swallow within 1 minute for heart attack

• Emergency response:

  • Brain death from lack of oxygen: 4-6 minutes
  • CPR cycles: 2 minutes (5 cycles of 30 compressions + 2 breaths)
  • "Golden hour": First 60 minutes after trauma critical for survival
  • Stroke treatment window: 90 minutes for optimal tPA administration

• Medical procedures:

  • Blood pressure check: 1-2 minutes
  • Routine exam: 15-20 minutes
  • Teeth cleaning: 30-60 minutes
  • MRI scan: 30-90 minutes
  • Surgery under anesthesia: Measured in minutes/hours

7. Communication and Daily Life

Minute-based language permeates everyday communication:

• Phone calls:

  • Quick question: "Got a minute?"
  • Brief catch-up: 5-10 minutes
  • Long conversation: 30+ minutes
  • Cell phone plans: Previously sold in monthly minute allotments

• Waiting times:

  • Microwave countdown: "2 minutes remaining"
  • Computer startup: "1-3 minutes"
  • "Please hold, estimated wait time: 8 minutes"
  • Restaurant: "Your table will be ready in 15 minutes"

• Task estimation:

  • "This will just take a minute" (often false)
  • "Give me five minutes" = brief delay request
  • "Wait a minute!" = halt/reconsider
  • "Not a minute too soon" = just in time

• Idioms and expressions:

  • "A minute of silence" (memorial)
  • "Famous for 15 minutes" (Andy Warhol)
  • "Any minute now" = very soon
  • "Last-minute" = done at the final moment
  • "Up to the minute" = most current information
  • "By the minute" = rapidly changing

Common Uses and Applications

1. Time Management and Productivity

The minute is the fundamental unit for personal and professional time management:

• Pomodoro Technique: Work in 25-minute focused sessions, followed by 5-minute breaks
• Time blocking: Schedule day in 15-, 30-, or 60-minute blocks
• Task estimation: "This report will take 45 minutes"
• Billable hours: Professional services (lawyers, consultants) often bill in 6-minute increments (0.1 hour)
• Timesheet tracking: Many systems track work time to the minute

Digital tools: Calendar apps (Google Calendar, Outlook), time tracking software (Toggl, RescueTime), and project management platforms (Asana, Monday.com) all operate on minute-based scheduling.

2. Scheduling and Appointments

Minutes enable precise coordination of activities:

• Appointment times: "Dentist at 3:15 PM" (hours and minutes)
• Event start times: "Meeting begins at 10:30 AM sharp"
• Transit timetables: "Train departs at 8:47 AM"
• Reservation systems: OpenTable shows "5:30 PM" or "8:45 PM" slots
• Class schedules: "Period 3: 10:25-11:15 AM" (50-minute period)

Buffer times: Professional schedulers often include 5-10 minute buffers between appointments to prevent domino-effect delays.

3. Sports and Athletic Competition

Many sports use minutes for game structure and performance measurement:

• Game periods:

  • Soccer: Two 45-minute halves
  • Basketball (NBA): Four 12-minute quarters = 48 minutes total
  • Basketball (NCAA): Two 20-minute halves = 40 minutes
  • Hockey: Three 20-minute periods
  • Rugby: Two 40-minute halves

• Penalties and suspensions:

  • Hockey penalty box: 2-minute, 4-minute, or 5-minute penalties
  • Soccer yellow card: 10-minute sin bin (trial rule in some leagues)

• Running performance:

  • Mile time: 4-6 minutes (recreational), under 4 minutes (elite)
  • 5K time: 15-30 minutes (recreational), 13-15 minutes (competitive)
  • Marathon pace: Expressed as minutes per mile/km

• Timeouts:

  • NBA timeout: 75 seconds (1.25 minutes) or 30 seconds
  • NFL timeout: Each team gets three per half
  • College football: 1-minute timeouts

4. Navigation and Geography

Beyond time measurement, "minute" has a distinct meaning in navigation:

Arcminute (minute of arc):

• Symbol: ′ (prime symbol)
• 1 arcminute = 1/60 of a degree of angle
• 1 degree = 60 arcminutes = 60′
• 1 arcminute = 60 arcseconds = 60″

Latitude and longitude:

• Geographic coordinates: 40°45′30″N, 73°59′00″W (New York City)
• Reads as: "40 degrees, 45 minutes, 30 seconds North; 73 degrees, 59 minutes, 0 seconds West"

Nautical mile:

• 1 nautical mile = 1 arcminute of latitude (approximately 1,852 meters)
• This makes ocean navigation calculations elegant: traveling 60 nautical miles north changes your latitude by 1 degree

Map precision:

• 1 arcminute of latitude ≈ 1.85 km (1.15 miles)
• 1 arcminute of longitude ≈ 1.85 km at equator (decreases toward poles)
• Modern GPS coordinates often express minutes with decimal precision: 40°45.5′N

5. Digital Timekeeping and Computing

Computers and digital devices track time in minutes (and smaller units):

• System clocks: Display hours:minutes (14:35) or hours:minutes:seconds (14:35:47)
• File timestamps: Modified time recorded as YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
• Cron jobs: Unix/Linux scheduled tasks use minute-level specification (0-59)
• Session timeouts: "Session will expire in 5 minutes of inactivity"
• Auto-save intervals: Microsoft Word auto-saves every 10 minutes (default)
• Video timestamps: YouTube shows 5:23 (5 minutes, 23 seconds)
• Countdown timers: Online cooking timers, exam clocks, auction endings

6. Aviation and Air Travel

The aviation industry relies heavily on minute-precise timing:

• Flight schedules: Departure 10:25 AM, arrival 1:47 PM (all times to the minute)
• Flight duration: "Flight time: 2 hours 34 minutes"
• Boarding times: "Boarding begins 30 minutes before departure"
• Gate changes: "Gate closes 10 minutes before departure"
• Air traffic control: Separation requirements measured in minutes between aircraft
• Fuel planning: Reserve fuel calculated for 30-45 minutes of additional flight time

7. Education and Testing

Academic settings structure learning and assessment by minutes:

• Class periods:

  • Elementary school: 45-60 minute periods
  • High school: 50-minute periods (traditional) or 90-minute blocks
  • University lecture: 50 minutes ("hour" classes), 80 minutes (longer sessions)
  • "10-minute break" between classes

• Standardized tests:

  • SAT Reading section: 65 minutes
  • SAT Math (calculator): 55 minutes
  • ACT Science: 35 minutes
  • GRE Verbal section: 30 minutes
  • LSAT Logical Reasoning: 35 minutes per section

• Test-taking strategy: Students allocate time per question (e.g., "100 questions in 60 minutes = 36 seconds per question")

8. Parking and Paid Time

Many services charge based on minute increments:

• Parking meters:

  • 15-minute minimum in some cities
  • $2 per hour = $0.50 per 15 minutes
  • Digital meters show minutes remaining

• Bike/scooter sharing:

  • Lime, Bird, Citibike: Charge per minute (e.g., $0.39/min)
  • "Unlock fee + per-minute rate"

• Phone plans (historical):

  • Pre-smartphone era: Plans sold as "450 minutes per month"
  • Long-distance charges: "5¢ per minute"
  • Modern shift: Unlimited minutes, data caps instead

• Professional services:

  • Legal billing: Often in 6-minute increments (1/10 hour)
  • Therapy sessions: 50-minute "hour" (allows 10 minutes for notes)
  • Consulting rates: "$200/hour" = $3.33/minute

9. Emergency Services

Response time measured in minutes can mean life or death:

• Response time targets:

  • Ambulance (urban): 8 minutes average target
  • Fire department: 4-minute turnout time (from alarm to truck departure)
  • Police: Varies widely, 5-10 minutes for priority calls

• Emergency medical guidelines:

  • Start CPR within 1 minute of cardiac arrest recognition
  • Defibrillation within 3-5 minutes of cardiac arrest improves survival
  • Every 1-minute delay in defibrillation decreases survival by 7-10%
  • "Time is tissue" in stroke care: Every minute counts

• 911 call processing:

  • Average call duration: 2-3 minutes
  • Location identification: Should be under 30 seconds
  • "Stay on the line" until help arrives

Conversion Guide

Basic Time Conversions

Minutes to seconds:

• Formula: seconds = minutes × 60
• Example: 5 minutes = 5 × 60 = 300 seconds

Seconds to minutes:

• Formula: minutes = seconds ÷ 60
• Example: 180 seconds = 180 ÷ 60 = 3 minutes

Minutes to hours:

• Formula: hours = minutes ÷ 60
• Example: 90 minutes = 90 ÷ 60 = 1.5 hours

Hours to minutes:

• Formula: minutes = hours × 60
• Example: 2.5 hours = 2.5 × 60 = 150 minutes

Comprehensive Conversion Table

Minutes	Seconds	Hours (decimal)	Hours:Minutes
1	60	0.0167	0:01
5	300	0.0833	0:05
10	600	0.1667	0:10
15	900	0.25	0:15
20	1,200	0.3333	0:20
30	1,800	0.5	0:30
45	2,700	0.75	0:45
60	3,600	1.0	1:00
75	4,500	1.25	1:15
90	5,400	1.5	1:30
120	7,200	2.0	2:00
180	10,800	3.0	3:00
240	14,400	4.0	4:00
300	18,000	5.0	5:00
360	21,600	6.0	6:00
480	28,800	8.0	8:00
600	36,000	10.0	10:00
720	43,200	12.0	12:00
1,440	86,400	24.0	24:00 (1 day)

Longer Time Periods

Time Period	Minutes	Hours	Days
1 hour	60	1	0.0417
1 work shift (8 hr)	480	8	0.333
1 day (24 hr)	1,440	24	1
1 week	10,080	168	7
1 month (30 days)	43,200	720	30
1 year (365 days)	525,600	8,760	365
1 leap year (366 days)	527,040	8,784	366
1 decade	5,256,000	87,600	3,650

The famous number: Rent musical: "525,600 minutes, how do you measure a year?"

Decimal Hours to Minutes

Converting decimal hours (used in payroll, billing) to hours:minutes format:

Decimal Hours	Minutes	Hours:Minutes
0.25 hr	15 min	0:15
0.33 hr	20 min	0:20
0.5 hr	30 min	0:30
0.75 hr	45 min	0:45
1.25 hr	75 min	1:15
1.5 hr	90 min	1:30
1.75 hr	105 min	1:45
2.5 hr	150 min	2:30
3.5 hr	210 min	3:30
7.5 hr	450 min	7:30
8.5 hr	510 min	8:30

Conversion method:

• Take decimal part: 1.75 hr → 0.75
• Multiply by 60: 0.75 × 60 = 45 minutes
• Result: 1.75 hr = 1 hour and 45 minutes (1:45)

Speed Conversions Involving Minutes

Minutes per mile/km (running/cycling pace):

Pace (min/mile)	Pace (min/km)	Speed (mph)	Speed (km/h)
5:00 min/mile	3:06 min/km	12.0 mph	19.3 km/h
6:00 min/mile	3:44 min/km	10.0 mph	16.1 km/h
7:00 min/mile	4:21 min/km	8.6 mph	13.8 km/h
8:00 min/mile	4:58 min/km	7.5 mph	12.1 km/h
9:00 min/mile	5:35 min/km	6.7 mph	10.7 km/h
10:00 min/mile	6:13 min/km	6.0 mph	9.7 km/h

Formula: Speed (mph) = 60 ÷ pace (minutes per mile)

Common Conversion Mistakes

1. Decimal Hour Confusion (0.5 hr ≠ 50 minutes)

WRONG: Assuming 0.5 hours = 50 minutes CORRECT: 0.5 hours = 30 minutes

Why this happens: People mistakenly treat the decimal as if it's out of 100 (like cents in a dollar) rather than as a fraction of 60 minutes.

Examples of this mistake:

• Timesheet shows 1.75 hours worked → mistakenly thinking "1 hour 75 minutes"
• CORRECT: 1.75 hours = 1 hour + (0.75 × 60) = 1 hour 45 minutes

Common errors:

• 0.25 hr ≠ 25 min → Correct: 0.25 hr = 15 min
• 0.33 hr ≠ 33 min → Correct: 0.33 hr ≈ 20 min
• 0.75 hr ≠ 75 min → Correct: 0.75 hr = 45 min
• 1.5 hr ≠ 1 hr 50 min → Correct: 1.5 hr = 1 hr 30 min

How to convert correctly:

1. Take the whole number as hours
2. Multiply the decimal part by 60 to get minutes
3. Example: 2.25 hr = 2 hr + (0.25 × 60 min) = 2 hr 15 min

2. Mixing Minutes and Seconds in Calculations

WRONG: Adding 45 seconds + 2 minutes = 47 (no unit?) CORRECT: Convert first: 45 sec + 2 min = 45 sec + 120 sec = 165 sec = 2 min 45 sec

Common scenario: Timing multiple laps or intervals:

• Lap 1: 1 minute 23 seconds (1:23)
• Lap 2: 1 minute 41 seconds (1:41)
• WRONG: 1:23 + 1:41 = 2:64 (doesn't exist!)
• CORRECT: 1:23 + 1:41 = 2:00 + 0:64 = 2:00 + 1:04 = 3:04

Rule: When seconds exceed 60, convert to additional minutes:

• 75 seconds = 1 minute 15 seconds
• 130 seconds = 2 minutes 10 seconds
• 200 seconds = 3 minutes 20 seconds

3. Arcminute vs. Time Minute Confusion

Time minute: 60 seconds of duration Arcminute (angular minute): 1/60 of a degree of angle (symbol: ′)

Common confusion: Seeing coordinates like 40°45′N and thinking "40 degrees, 45 time minutes North"

CORRECT interpretation:

• 40°45′N = 40 degrees, 45 arcminutes North
• Arcminutes measure angle, not time
• Though confusingly, 1 arcminute of latitude = 1 nautical mile ≈ 1.85 km

Different units, same name:

• Time: 1 minute = 60 seconds of duration
• Angle: 1 arcminute (1′) = 60 arcseconds (60″) = 1/60 degree

4. "Minute" (Time) vs. "Minute" (Small) Pronunciation

Homograph: The word "minute" has two completely different meanings:

1. Time unit: Pronounced "MIN-it" (short 'i')

   • "The meeting lasts 30 minutes"

2. Small/tiny: Pronounced "my-NOOT" or "my-NYOOT" (long 'i', accent on second syllable)

   • "The print is so minute, I can barely read it"
   • Meaning: Extremely small, tiny, insignificant

Etymology:

• Time minute: From Latin minuta (small part)
• Small minute: From Latin minutus (made smaller)

This isn't a conversion mistake, but a common pronunciation/comprehension error in written text where context must clarify meaning.

5. Work Hours Calculation Errors

Scenario: Worked from 9:15 AM to 2:45 PM. How many hours?

WRONG METHOD (simple subtraction):

• 2:45 - 9:15 = -6:30? (Clearly wrong)

WRONG METHOD (treating as decimal):

• 2.45 - 9.15 = -6.70? (Also wrong—these aren't decimals)

CORRECT METHOD:

1. Convert to minutes from midnight:
   • 9:15 AM = (9 × 60) + 15 = 555 minutes
   • 2:45 PM = (14 × 60) + 45 = 885 minutes
2. Subtract: 885 - 555 = 330 minutes
3. Convert to hours: 330 ÷ 60 = 5.5 hours = 5 hours 30 minutes

Alternative CORRECT METHOD (break into parts):

• 9:15 AM to 10:00 AM = 45 minutes
• 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM = 4 hours
• 2:00 PM to 2:45 PM = 45 minutes
• Total: 4 hr + 45 min + 45 min = 4 hr + 90 min = 5.5 hours

6. Pace vs. Speed Confusion (Minutes per Mile)

Pace: Minutes per mile (or minutes per km)—how long it takes to cover distance Speed: Miles per hour (or km per hour)—how much distance covered in time

These are RECIPROCALS, not the same:

WRONG: Thinking 6 minutes per mile = 6 mph CORRECT: 6 minutes per mile = 10 mph

Conversion formula:

• Speed (mph) = 60 ÷ pace (min/mile)
• Example: 8 min/mile pace → 60 ÷ 8 = 7.5 mph

Common examples:

Pace (min/mile)	Speed (mph)
5 min/mile	12 mph
6 min/mile	10 mph
7 min/mile	8.57 mph
8 min/mile	7.5 mph
10 min/mile	6 mph
12 min/mile	5 mph

Runners typically think in pace; drivers think in speed—converting between them requires this reciprocal calculation.