Convert 3 minutes to seconds Step by Step

Step by step

The question

Question: change 3 minutes into seconds.

3 min = ? s

1 Find the link

1 minute is 60 seconds.

1 min = 60 s

2 Make the unit fraction

We want seconds, so seconds go on top.

We have minutes, so minutes go at the bottom.

Top and bottom are the same amount.

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

60 s1 min = 1

Careful!

Not upside down.

Then the minutes would not cross out.

Careful: not 3 min × 1 min60 s ✗

3 Multiply

We multiply 3 minutes by the fraction.

3 min = 3 ~~min~~ × 60 s1 ~~min~~

Minutes on top and at the bottom cancel, like numbers.

Cross them out.

Seconds are left.

What is left: 3 times 60.

= 3 × 60 s

3 times 60 is 180.

So 3 minutes is 180 seconds.

= 180 s

4 Check

Does it make sense?

Seconds are smaller than minutes.

So we need more of them.

180 is more than 3.

Yes.

s smaller than min → more: 180 > 3

And back the other way: 180 divided by 60 = 3.

We get 3 minutes again.

So the answer is right!

back: 180 ÷ 60 = 3

Let's look back.

First: find the link.

Then: make the unit fraction.

Then: multiply.

Last: check.

Answer