Understanding Time: Hours and Time Formats

What Is an Hour? An hour consists of 60 minutes, with each minute containing 60 seconds. A second is defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 cycles of cesium-133 atom radiation.

Time Formats

1. 12-Hour Clock

• Uses numbers 1 through 12
• Available in analog and digital formats
• Uses AM (ante meridiem) and PM (post meridiem)
• 12 AM = midnight
• 12 PM = noon

2. 24-Hour Clock

• Uses numbers 0-23
• 00:00 represents midnight
• International standard
• Often called "military time"
• Eliminates AM/PM confusion

Hours in Different Time Periods

• Day: 24 hours
• Week: 168 hours (7 × 24)
• Month: Varies by month
  • 31-day months: 744 hours
  • 30-day months: 720 hours
  • February: 672 hours (696 in leap years)
• Year: 8,760 hours (8,784 in leap years)

Working Hours and Calculations

Standard Work Periods

• Typical workday: 8 hours
• Standard work week: 40 hours
• Annual work hours: 2,080 hours (52 weeks)

Calculating Hourly Rates

• For annual salary to hourly rate:
  1. Remove three zeros from annual salary
  2. Divide by 2 Example: $80,000/year = $40/hour

Employment Types

1. Hourly Employees

• Paid per hour worked
• Eligible for overtime pay
• Variable income based on hours worked

2. Salaried Employees

• Fixed regular paycheck
• Additional benefits
• Usually no overtime pay