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Hour Conversion Table
This comprehensive hour conversion table shows how various units relate to hours. Use this reference for quick conversions between hours and other common time units.
| Conversion | To Unit | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Hours to seconds | Seconds | 3600 |
| Hours to milliseconds | Milliseconds | 3600000 |
| Hours to microseconds | Microseconds | 3600000000 |
| Hours to nanoseconds | Nanoseconds | 3600000000000 |
| Hours to picoseconds | Picoseconds | 3600000000000000 |
| Hours to minutes | Minutes | 60 |
| Hours to days | Days | 0.0416667 |
| Hours to weeks | Weeks | 0.00595238 |
| Hours to fortnights | Fortnights | 0.00297619 |
| Hours to months | Months | 0.00136895 |
| Hours to years | Years | 0.000114077 |
| Hours to decades | Decades | 1.14077e-5 |
| Hours to centuries | Centuries | 1.14077e-6 |
| Hours to millennia | Millennia | 1.14077e-7 |
This hour conversion reference table provides accurate conversion factors for both metric (SI) units and other common time units. All values are based on internationally recognized standards for maximum precision.
What is an Hour?
The hour (symbol: h) is a unit of time equal to 60 minutes or 3,600 seconds. It is not an SI base unit but is accepted for use with the SI system. The hour is widely used in everyday life for measuring durations and organizing schedules.
The concept of the hour originated in ancient civilizations, particularly the Babylonians who used a base-60 numbering system. Our modern hour is defined as exactly 1/24 of a mean solar day. Our hour conversion tool helps you easily convert between hours and other units. For example, 1 hour equals 60 minutes or 3600 seconds.
What is the SI of Hour?
The hour is not an SI base unit for time. The base SI unit for time is the second. However, the hour is accepted for use with the SI system and is defined as exactly 3,600 seconds. All other time units in common use are derived from or related to the second:
- Minute (min) = 60 seconds
- Hour (h) = 3,600 seconds
- Day (d) = 86,400 seconds
- Week = 604,800 seconds
What are Hours Used For?
Hours are used in a wide range of applications in daily life, business, and science. They provide a convenient scale for measuring medium durations:
Daily Scheduling
Work schedules, school timetables, and appointment times. For example, a standard workday might be 8 hours long.
Travel Time
Flight durations, driving times, and train journeys. For example, a cross-country flight might take 6 hours.
Project Management
Estimating task durations and project timelines. For example, a software development task might be estimated at 40 hours.
Scientific Experiments
Measuring reaction times and observation periods. For example, a chemical reaction might be monitored for 24 hours.
Etymology and History
The word "hour" comes from the Latin "hora" and Greek "hora" (ὥρα), originally meaning "season" or "time of day." The concept of dividing the day into 24 hours was developed by ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians who used a duodecimal (base-12) system.
The modern definition of an hour as 60 minutes of 60 seconds each was established with the development of precise timekeeping devices. The adoption of the mean solar day as the reference point and the subsequent definition of the second in terms of atomic transitions have made the hour a precisely defined unit in the modern time system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is an hour 60 minutes?
The division of an hour into 60 minutes comes from the ancient Babylonians who used a base-60 (sexagesimal) numbering system. This system was also used by the Sumerians and was convenient for mathematical calculations since 60 is divisible by many numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30). This ancient convention has persisted to the present day in our time measurement system.
How accurate is the hour definition?
The current definition of an hour as exactly 3,600 seconds is extremely accurate, based on the SI definition of the second which is defined by the frequency of a cesium atomic clock. This makes the hour reproducible with an accuracy of better than one part in a billion, making it suitable for both everyday use and scientific applications.
What's the difference between an hour and an hr?
There is no difference in meaning. "Hour" is the full word, while "hr" is the common abbreviation. Both refer to the same unit of time equal to 60 minutes or 3,600 seconds. The abbreviation "hr" is often used in schedules, timetables, and informal writing.
How do I convert hours to other units?
Use our hour conversion calculators above, or multiply by the appropriate conversion factor. For example, to convert hours to minutes, multiply by 60; to convert hours to seconds, multiply by 3,600. For detailed instructions on converting hours to days, visit our h to d converter. Our tool also handles conversions to larger units like weeks and years.
What are common uses for hour conversion?
Hour conversion is essential in travel planning (flight durations), work scheduling (shift lengths), project estimation (task durations), education (class periods), and scientific research (experiment durations). Whether calculating how long a project will take or converting between time zones, our hour converter tool simplifies these everyday tasks.
How does hour conversion differ from other time units?
The hour is a convenient intermediate unit for measuring time, larger than seconds and minutes but smaller than days and weeks. It's particularly useful for expressing durations of human activities. Unlike some other units, the hour is not a power of 10, which makes its conversion factors not as straightforward as metric units, but it remains the standard for everyday time measurement.
Can I convert very small or very large measurements in hours?
Yes, our hour converter handles both extremely small and large time measurements with precision. For very short durations, convert picoseconds to hours (1 ps = 2.77778e-16 h). For very long periods, convert hours to millennia (1 millennium = 8,766,000 hours). Our smart rounding feature ensures readable results for all scales.
Is your hour conversion tool free to use?
Yes, our hour conversion calculator is completely free with no registration required. Simply enter your value, select your target unit, and get instant, accurate results. We believe precise time conversion should be accessible to everyone, from students learning time units to professionals working on complex scheduling projects.