Knowledge Explorer lesson
Elapsed Time and Time Units
How much time has passed?
Elapsed time is the amount of time that passes from the start of something to its end.
To find it, count forward from the start time. Jump by hours first, then by minutes.
Example: A soccer game starts at 2:15 PM and ends at 3:45 PM. From 2:15 to 3:15 is 1 hour. From 3:15 to 3:45 is 30 more minutes. The game lasted 1 hour 30 minutes.
Time units: 60 seconds = 1 minute, 60 minutes = 1 hour, and 24 hours = 1 day. Choose a unit that fits: one clap takes about a second, brushing your teeth takes about two minutes, and a school day lasts several hours.
What you will learn
- Find elapsed time by counting forward from a start time
- Find an end time from a start time and a length of time
- Use seconds, minutes, and hours, and estimate how long things take
Key facts
- Elapsed time is how much time passes from start to end.
- 60 seconds = 1 minute.
- 60 minutes = 1 hour.
- 24 hours = 1 day.