Seconds to Minutes Converter
Convert between seconds and minutes with precision and bidirectional functionality
Time Conversion Calculator
SI base unit of time
60-second period
Conversion Results
Conversion formula: 1 minute = 60 seconds
Calculation: 0 ÷ 60 = 0.0000 minutes
Common Conversions
| Seconds | Minutes | Time Format | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 sec | 0.5 min | 0:30 | Half minute |
| 60 sec | 1 min | 1:00 | 1 minute exactly |
| 90 sec | 1.5 min | 1:30 | Minute and a half |
| 120 sec | 2 min | 2:00 | 2 minutes |
| 180 sec | 3 min | 3:00 | 3 minutes |
| 300 sec | 5 min | 5:00 | 5 minutes |
| 600 sec | 10 min | 10:00 | 10 minutes |
| 900 sec | 15 min | 15:00 | Quarter hour |
Example Calculations
Usain Bolt's 100m Sprint
Problem: Convert Usain Bolt's world record time of 9.58 seconds to minutes
Given: 9.58 seconds (100m sprint world record)
Calculation: 9.58 ÷ 60 = 0.1597 minutes
Result: Approximately 0.16 minutes or 9 seconds 58 hundredths
This 2009 world record still stands today!
Converting 78 Seconds
Problem: How many minutes is 78 seconds?
Calculation: 78 ÷ 60 = 1.3 minutes
Result: 1.3 minutes or 1 minute 18 seconds
Common for timing short activities or exercises
Cooking Timer Example
Problem: Recipe says 180 seconds, convert to minutes
Calculation: 180 ÷ 60 = 3 minutes
Result: 3 minutes exactly
Quick Facts
Second
SI base unit of time
Cesium-133 definition
Minute
60 seconds
1/60th of an hour
Conversion
Seconds ÷ 60 = Minutes
Simple division
Milliseconds
1 second = 1,000 milliseconds
Precise timing
Common Applications
Sports timing and athletic records
Cooking and baking instructions
Exercise and fitness routines
Music and audio duration
Scientific experiments and timing
Video and media production
Understanding Seconds to Minutes Conversion
What is a Second?
A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). It was initially defined as a fraction of the year 1900 (ephemeris time), but is now defined by the hyperfine transition frequency of Caesium-133 atoms. This atomic definition makes the second one of the most precisely measured units in physics. A second is 1/60th of a minute, and contains 1,000 milliseconds.
What is a Minute?
A minute is a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour. The word "minute" comes from the Latin "pars minuta prima" meaning "first small part". Minutes are commonly used for measuring durations in daily life, from cooking times to meeting lengths. A minute contains 60,000 milliseconds (60 × 1,000).
Why This Conversion Matters
- •Sports: Athletic records and race timing
- •Cooking: Converting recipe times
- •Fitness: Exercise intervals and rest periods
- •Media: Audio and video length formatting
Conversion Formula
Minutes = Seconds ÷ 60
Seconds = Minutes × 60
Quotient = full minutes, Remainder = extra seconds
Time Breakdown
- 1 second = 0.016667 minutes = 1,000 milliseconds
- 60 seconds = 1 minute exactly
- 3,600 seconds = 60 minutes = 1 hour
- 86,400 seconds = 1,440 minutes = 24 hours (1 day)
Pro Tip: When converting seconds to minutes, the quotient gives you the full minutes, and the remainder tells you how many seconds past the minute. For example, 78 ÷ 60 = 1 remainder 18, meaning 1 minute and 18 seconds.
Common Time Values
- • 1 minute = 60 seconds = 60,000 milliseconds
- • 1 hour = 60 minutes = 3,600 seconds
- • 1 day = 1,440 minutes = 86,400 seconds
- • 1 week = 10,080 minutes = 604,800 seconds
- • 1 year = 525,600 minutes (365 days)
- • 1 leap year = 527,040 minutes (366 days)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert seconds into minutes?
To convert seconds into minutes: (1) Divide the number of seconds by 60. (2) The quotient of the division is the number of minutes, whereas the remainder is that many seconds past a full minute. Mathematically: Number of minutes = Seconds ÷ 60. For example, 78 seconds ÷ 60 = 1.3 minutes, or 1 minute and 18 seconds.
How many minutes are in a day?
A day has 1,440 minutes. This is because a day has 24 hours and an hour has 60 minutes. Therefore, 60 × 24 = 1,440 minutes. In seconds, that's 86,400 seconds per day.
How many minutes are in a leap year?
A leap year has 527,040 minutes. This value is obtained by the following expression: 60 × 24 × 366 = 527,040 minutes. An hour has 60 minutes, a day has 24 hours, and a leap year has 366 days. A regular year has 525,600 minutes (60 × 24 × 365).
Why do we use 60 seconds per minute?
The base-60 (sexagesimal) system for time comes from ancient Babylonian mathematics, which was influenced by the Sumerians around 3000 BCE. They chose 60 because it has many divisors (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, 60), making it easy to divide time into equal parts. This system has been used for over 4,000 years and remains the global standard.