Convert 3 hours to seconds Step by Step

Step by step

The question

Question: change 3 hours into seconds.

3 h = ? s

1 Find the links

There is no link straight from hours to seconds.

So we go in steps.

1 hour is 60 minutes.

1 h = 60 min

Then: 1 minute is 60 seconds.

1 min = 60 s

2 Make the unit fractions

We want minutes, so minutes go on top.

We have hours, so hours go at the bottom.

Top and bottom are the same amount.

So the fraction is 1, and times 1 keeps the size.

60 min1 h = 1

Next seconds, so seconds go on top.

We have minutes, so minutes go at the bottom.

60 s1 min = 1

Careful!

Not upside down.

Then the hours would not cross out.

Careful: not 3 h × 1 h60 min ✗

3 Multiply

We multiply 3 hours by the fractions.

3 h = 3 h × 60 ~~min~~1 h × 60 s1 ~~min~~

Hours and minutes on top and at the bottom cancel, like numbers.

Cross them out.

Seconds are left.

What is left: 3 times 60 times 60.

= 3 × 60 × 60 s

3 times 60 times 60 is 10,800.

So 3 hours is 10,800 seconds.

= 10,800 s

4 Check

Does it make sense?

Seconds are smaller than hours.

So we need more of them.

10,800 is more than 3.

Yes.

s smaller than h → more: 10,800 > 3

And back the other way: 10,800 divided by 60 divided by 60 = 3.

We get 3 hours again.

So the answer is right!

back: 10,800 ÷ 60 ÷ 60 = 3

Let's look back.

First: find the links.

Then: make the unit fractions.

Then: multiply.

Last: check.

Answer