Converting Time Units: Step-by-Step Example
23 October 2026
Understanding how to convert between different units of time is an important skill for 11+ maths. Children often need to switch between minutes and seconds when solving problems, especially when time and capacity are combined in questions.
This example shows a clear way to work out how many seconds are in a given number of minutes. It uses the same approach seen in maths.com uk resources, helping your child feel confident with time conversions.
Worked example
Question: How many seconds are there in 4 minutes?
Step 1: Remember that 1 minute = 60 seconds.
Step 2: Multiply 4 by 60.
4 × 60 = 240
The correct answer is 240 seconds.
Now your child can spot when to use multiplication to change minutes into seconds. This method can be used for similar questions involving time units.
Key insight: Once your child knows the basic fact for one minute, they can tackle any question that asks for a conversion between minutes and seconds. Practice questions like this are ready for your child to try next.
