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We all know there are 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week, and 365 days in a year. But how many minutes are in a year? This is a question that often stumps people.
The answer? One million? Two billion? Nope. The answer may be simpler than you think.
The answer can be 525,600 (common year), 527,040 (leap year) or 525,948.76666 minutes (exact solar year). Find out why in this post.
How Many Minutes in a Year? The Maths
There are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, and 365 days in a year.
To figure out how many minutes are in a year, we need to determine how many minutes there are in a day and multiply this by the number of days in a year.
Method 1 (common year)
To find a common year (365 days) we can input the simple multiplication formula in our calculators:
365 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes = 525,600 minutes
Method 2 (if it’s a leap year)
To find a leap year (366 days) we can input the simple multiplication formula in our calculators:
366 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes = 527,040 minutes
Method 3 (more accurate)
If you want to calculate the number of minutes more accurately, you need to take into account the extra 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds that account in a solar year.
Solar day: it takes the Earth 24 hours, 3 minutes, and 56.555 seconds to complete one full rotation on its axis around the sun.
Solar year: it takes the Earth roughly 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to complete one full orbit around the sun.
In short, we could say that there are 365.2422 days in a solar year.
Let’s take a look at our equation:
365.2422 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes = 525,948.768 minutes
Method 3 ii. (alternative)
Let’s take our earlier equation:
365 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes = 525,600 minutes
We need to convert 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds into minutes:
5 hours= 300 minutes (5×60)
48 minutes= 48 minutes
46 seconds= 0.766666 minutes (46/60)
Put all the minutes together:
525,600+300+48+(46/60)= 525,948.766667 minutes
Riddle: How many seconds in a year?
…
Answer: 12
This riddle is designed to trick people by actually asking you how many 2nds in a year. It became a trend to ask questions like these during lockdown!
Let’s look at a similar question…
How Many Hours in a Year?
The answer can be 8,760 (common year) or 8,784 (leap year).
Workings:
365 days x 24 hours = 8,760 hours in a common year.
366 days x 24 hours = 8,784 hours in a leap year.
365.2422 days x 24 hours = 8,765.8128 hours in a solar year.
How Many Seconds in a Year?
The answer can be 31,536,000 (common year) or 31,622,400 (leap year).
Workings:
365 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes x 60 seconds = 31,536,000 seconds in a year.
366 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes x 60 seconds = 31,622,400 seconds in a year.
365.2422 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes x 60 seconds = 31,556,926.08 hours in a solar year.
How to Read Measurements of Time (in English)
- 525,600: five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred
- 527,040: five hundred twenty-seven thousand forty
- 525,948.768: five hundred twenty-five thousand nine hundred forty-eight and seven hundred sixty-eight thousandths
- 31,536,000: thirty-one million five hundred thirty-six thousand
- 31,622,400: thirty-one million six hundred twenty-two thousand four hundred
- 31,556,926.08: thirty-one million five hundred fifty-six thousand nine hundred twenty-six and eight hundredths
Conclusion
There you have it, folks. The simple and more accurate answer to how many minutes are in a year. Remember, the number of minutes in a year can differ depending on whether it’s a common year or leap year and whether you want an exact solar year.
Some fun (and maybe a little useless) facts to know! Reply in the comments section below if you found it helpful!
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and founder of TPR Teaching, crafting inspiring pieces that promote the importance of developing new skills. For 7 years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.