SwissKnifeCalculator Logo

Time Unit Converter (Seconds, Minutes, Years & Scientific Units)

Convert between standard and exotic time units including milliseconds, days, centuries, Planck time, Svedberg, and Callippic cycles — with full precision and Advanced Mode support.

Enter Time to Convert

Milliseconds, microseconds, nanoseconds, fortnights, decades, centuries, millennia, shakes, Svedberg, Planck time, atomic unit of time, Callippic cycle, Metonic cycle, kè, jiffy, Hipparchic cycle.

Converted Time

Result: –

Scientific Form: –

Grouped Digits: –


🔍

    📘 Overview: Time Unit Converter Tool

    The Time Unit Converter is a powerful online tool for converting between an extensive range of time-related units — from the most familiar to the most obscure. It supports:

    • 🕒 Common units like seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years
    • ⏱️ Sub-second precision units: milliseconds, microseconds, nanoseconds
    • 📅 Calendar spans: decades, centuries, millennia, fortnights
    • 🧪 Scientific and historical units: shakes, Svedbergs, jiffy, atomic units, Planck time
    • 🌍 Cultural cycles: Callippic, Metonic, and Hipparchic cycles, Chinese kè

    The converter works on any device and supports offline use after loading. Use “Advanced Mode” to unlock rare time units used in physics, astronomy, and ancient calendars.

    📐 Formula & Methodology

    All conversions follow a **two-step process** using seconds as the intermediary unit:

    1. 🔄 Convert input value to seconds (unit → seconds)
    2. 🔄 Convert seconds to target unit (seconds → unit)

    For example, to convert 2 hours to minutes:

    2 hours × 3600 = 7200 seconds → 7200 ÷ 60 = 120 minutes

    Below are a few commonly used conversion constants:

    • 1 minute = 60 seconds
    • 1 hour = 3600 seconds
    • 1 day = 86400 seconds
    • 1 year = 31,536,000 seconds (365 days)
    • 1 century = 3,153,600,000 seconds
    • 1 Planck time ≈ 5.391247×10⁻⁴⁴ seconds
    • 1 shake = 10⁻⁸ seconds
    • 1 jiffy = 3.33564×10⁻¹¹ seconds
    • 1 kè = 864 seconds
    • 1 Callippic cycle = 2,396,736,000 seconds

    Definitions come from NIST, BIPM, and physics/astronomy literature. For practical consistency, months are treated as 30 days and years as 365 days.

    🧪 Example Time Unit Conversions

    • 2 hours to minutes: 2 × 3600 = 7200 s → 7200 ÷ 60 = 120 minutes
    • 1 fortnight to days: 1 × 1,209,600 s → ÷ 86,400 = 14 days
    • 5000 milliseconds to seconds: 5000 × 0.001 = 5 seconds
    • 3 centuries to years: 3 × 3,153,600,000 ÷ 31,536,000 = 300 years
    • 10 Planck times: 10 × 5.391247×10⁻⁴⁴ = 5.391247×10⁻⁴³ s
    • 1 Callippic cycle to years: 2,396,736,000 ÷ 31,536,000 = 76 years

    💡 Use Cases for Time Conversions

    • 🕰️ Comparing durations across different time units (e.g., weeks vs. months)
    • 🧬 Scientific modeling using atomic time scales (e.g., Planck time, jiffy)
    • 📆 Time span calculations for historical and cultural research (e.g., Metonic cycle)
    • ⚙️ Engineering or simulations using nanoseconds or microseconds
    • 🧑‍🏫 Educational purposes for teaching unit conversions and constants
    • 🛰️ Astrophysics or cosmology when dealing with astronomical timelines

    ❓ Frequently Asked Questions

    🔬 What is a “shake” in time?

    A shake equals 10⁻⁸ seconds, used in nuclear physics to describe particle lifetimes during fission.

    🧪 What is a “Svedberg” unit?

    A Svedberg is 10⁻¹³ seconds, used in molecular biology for ultracentrifugation and sedimentation rate analysis.

    ⚛️ What is the atomic unit of time?

    It’s defined as ħ/Eₕ ≈ 2.418884×10⁻¹⁷ s, used in quantum mechanics for atomic-scale time intervals.

    📅 Why are “month” and “year” considered approximate?

    For simplicity, a month = 30 days and year = 365 days. Calendar-specific variations (e.g., leap years, February) require custom coding.

    📱 Can I use this converter on my phone or tablet?

    Yes — it’s fully responsive and adapts to all screen sizes. No app install required.

    🌐 Is offline use supported?

    After the tool loads, all conversions happen client-side. You can continue using it offline.

    🧠 What is the Callippic cycle?

    The Callippic cycle is 76 years long and was used by ancient Greek astronomers to track lunar and solar cycles.

    🕰️ What’s the difference between a Metonic and Hipparchic cycle?

    The Metonic cycle is 19 years (used for predicting lunar phases), while the Hipparchic cycle is 304 years (used in ancient Greek astronomy).

    📊 Can I see how the tool calculates the result?

    Yes — the result shows exact intermediate steps using seconds as the base unit, which improves transparency and learning.