Units of Time
Time is measured with different units. Small units join to make bigger ones. Knowing how they fit together helps us change one unit into another.
Key idea
1 minute = 60 seconds · 1 hour = 60 minutes · 1 day = 24 hours · 1 week = 7 days · 1 year = 12 months
Changing Units
To change a bigger unit into a smaller unit, we multiply. For example, 3 hours = 3 × 60 = 180 minutes. To change a smaller unit into a bigger unit, we divide.
Worked example
How many days are in 2 weeks? One week has 7 days, so 2 weeks = 2 × 7 = 14 days. To go back: 14 days ÷ 7 = 2 weeks.
Remember
- Bigger unit to smaller unit: multiply.
- Smaller unit to bigger unit: divide.
- 1 year is about 365 days.