Hour|Definition & Meaning

Definition

A twenty-fourth of a day or 1/24 parts of the day’s duration is called an hour. A day has a total of 24 hours, and each hour is 60 minutes or 3600 seconds long (60 seconds in one minute). The time it takes for the shortest hand of your clock to go from 1 to 2 (or 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm if it is digital) is one hour. This is why the shortest hand of a clock is called the hour hand.

The hour is typically divided into 60 minutes, while each minute is divided into 60 seconds. This system of dividing time into smaller units is known as the “sexagesimal” system, and it originates from the ancient Sumerians and Babylonians.

The hour is a convenient unit of time for measuring the duration of many everyday activities, such as meetings, appointments, and classes.

Figure 1: Hour on a Clock

Uses of Hour

The hour is a commonly used unit of time that has many uses in everyday life. Some common uses of the hour include:

Measuring Time

The hour is used to measure the duration of events, such as meetings, appointments, classes, and other activities. It is also used to measure the time of day, such as the time of sunrise and sunset, as well as the time of high and low tides.

Scheduling

The hour is used to schedule events and activities, such as classes, meetings, and appointments. It is also used to schedule transportation, such as buses, trains, and flights.

Timekeeping

The hour is used to keep track of time, such as the time of day, the time of the week, and the time of year. It is also used to keep track of time in other units, such as minutes and seconds.

Clocks and Watches

The hour is used as the basic unit of measurement for time on most clocks and watches. It is used to tell time and to measure the duration of events.

Time Zones

The hour is used to measure time in different time zones around the world. Each time zone is typically different from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) by a certain number of hours.

Payroll

The hour is used to measure the duration of work for payroll purposes and to pay people for the hours they work.

Billing

The hour is used to measure the duration of services, such as legal or consulting services, and to bill clients for hours worked.

Sleep

The hour is used to measure the duration of sleep, as a person typically sleeps for several hours at a time.

Overall, the hour is a fundamental unit of time measurement that is used in a wide range of applications in everyday life.

Conversion of Hour

An hour is a common unit of time that can be converted into other units of time for different purposes. Some common conversions are discussed below.

Minutes

To convert hours into minutes, you simply need to multiply the number of hours by 60. For example, 2 hours is equal to 2 * 60 = 120 minutes.

Days

To convert hours into days, you need to divide the number of hours by 24. For example, 48 hours is equal to 48 / 24 = 2 days.

Weeks

To convert hours into weeks, you need to divide the number of hours by 24 * 7 = 168. For example, 336 hours is equal to 336/168 = 2 weeks.

Seconds

To convert hours into seconds, you simply multiply the number of hours by 3600 (60 minutes * 60 seconds). For example, 2 hours is equal to 2 * 3600 = 7200 seconds.

Milliseconds

To convert hours into milliseconds, you need to multiply the number of hours by 3,600,000 (60 minutes * 60 seconds * 1000 milliseconds). For example, 2 hours is equal to 2 * 3,600,000 = 7,200,000 milliseconds.

It’s important to note that these conversions are approximate, and they may not be exact in some cases. It’s also important to take into account leap years, daylight saving time, and other factors that may affect the duration of the hour.

Converting hours to other units of time can be helpful in a variety of situations, such as scheduling, timekeeping, and time zone conversions. It’s also useful in many scientific and engineering calculations.

Time in Hours on a Clock

Half Hour

A half-hour is a unit of time that is equal to 30 minutes. It is commonly used to measure the duration of events and activities that last for 30 minutes or to describe an interval of time that is 30 minutes long. For example, a meeting that starts at 2:00 PM and ends at 2:30 PM is a half-hour meeting.

Figure 2: Half Hour Past 10

Quarter Passed

“Quarter passed” is a phrase that is used to indicate that 15 minutes have passed within an hour. It is commonly used in timekeeping to indicate the progression of time. For example, “It is a quarter past 8” means that 15 minutes have passed since 8:00 AM, and it is now 8:15 AM.

Figure 3: Quarter Past 12

Quarter To

“Quarter to” is a phrase that is used to indicate that there are 15 minutes remaining until the next hour. It is commonly used in timekeeping to indicate the progression of time. For example, “It is a quarter to 8” means that there are 15 minutes left until 8:00 AM, and it is currently 7:45 AM.

Figure 4: Quarter to 3

The use of these phrases is a convention that helps in the understanding of time, and it is commonly used in spoken language, especially in informal settings. It’s also used to make it more clear and less ambiguous when indicating the time.

Example Question

Q: A train leaves a station at 8:00 AM and takes 5 hours to reach its destination. What time does the train arrive at the destination?

Solution

We know that the train leaves at 8:00 AM and takes 5 hours to reach its destination. To find out what time the train arrives, we need to add 5 hours to the departure time.

In this case, we can use the following steps:

Add 5 hours to 8:00 AM: 8:00 AM + 5 hours = 1:00 PM

So the train arrives at the destination at 1:00 PM.

All mathematical drawings and images were created with GeoGebra.