Understanding Time Measurement
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. While seconds, minutes, and hours are constant, days, months, and years are based on astronomical cycles.
Base Units
The standard SI unit for time is the second.
- Second ($s$): The base unit of time. Historically defined as 1/86,400 of a mean solar day.
- Minute ($min$): Equal to 60 seconds.
- Hour ($hr$): Equal to 60 minutes or 3,600 seconds.
Calendar Units
These units vary slightly depending on leap years and the length of specific months. This tool uses averages for precise conversion.
- Day: The time it takes for the Earth to rotate once. Fixed at 24 hours for this tool.
- Week: Fixed at 7 days.
- Month: Averaged to 30.44 days (365.25 days / 12).
- Year: Averaged to 365.25 days (accounting for leap years every 4 years).