Seconds and measured durations
Convert minutes and seconds and measure short durations with a stopwatch.
More
Offline pages
Saved on this device only. Connect at least once every 30 days to confirm Premium. Sign-out or a change of account removes saved copies.
On this page
You stopped at:
ContinueRevision Mode is on. Questions and activities are hidden.
Seconds are smaller than minutes
A minute contains 60 seconds, written 60 s. A time interval of 2 min 15 s is 120 + 15 = 135 s.
Use a stopwatch to measure a short action. Start and stop at the agreed events. The display records a duration, not a time of day. Starting late or stopping early changes what you measured.
Check your understanding 1 Use sixty seconds per minute
How many seconds are in 3 min 20 s?
Show answer
200 s: 3 × 60 + 20 = 200.
Measure the same event
Time the same short action twice with a stopwatch. Compare the durations and say why they might differ. A numerical check here cannot verify how accurately you started and stopped the watch.
Show answer
The action itself can take different times, and reaction time can affect starting and stopping. Compare seconds with seconds; keep the measurement procedure the same before attributing a difference to the action.
Keep track of this lesson
Mark the lesson done when you have worked through it.
Lesson progress is optional and kept on this device.
Loading lesson controls…
Your lesson mark records your own study. Checks are kept separately in My Learning.