How many seconds are in a day?
There are 86,400 seconds in a day.
A minute is 60 seconds, an hour 60 minutes and a day 24 hours, by NIST's table of units.
Show the workings
| Step | Sum | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day in seconds | 1 × 86,400 | 86,400 seconds |
| In seconds | 86,400 ÷ 1 | 86,400 seconds |
Where the figures come from
- Seconds in a minute: 60 seconds. Source: NIST Guide to the SI, section 5.1.1, Table 6: units accepted for use with the SI. Checked 14 November 2026.
- Minutes in an hour: 60 minutes. Source: NIST Guide to the SI, section 5.1.1, Table 6: units accepted for use with the SI. Checked 14 November 2026.
- Hours in a day: 24 hours. Source: NIST Guide to the SI, section 5.1.1, Table 6: units accepted for use with the SI. Checked 14 November 2026.
- A leap year comes every this many years: 4 years. Source: Calendar (New Style) Act 1750, section 2. Checked 14 November 2026.
- Hundredth years are common years, not leap years: 100 years. Source: Calendar (New Style) Act 1750, section 2. Checked 14 November 2026.
- Except every fourth hundredth year, which is a leap year: 400 years. Source: Calendar (New Style) Act 1750, section 2. Checked 14 November 2026.
- Days in a common year: 365 days. Source: Calendar (New Style) Act 1750, section 2. Checked 14 November 2026.
The sum
| In | Sum | Seconds |
|---|---|---|
| One day | 24 × 60 × 60 | 86,400 |
Definitions from NIST Guide to the SI, section 5.1.1, Table 6: units accepted for use with the SI, checked 14 November 2026.
Other questions about time
- Minutes in a day
- Seconds in an hour
- Hours in a week
- Minutes in a week
- Weeks in a month
- Hours in a month
- Hours in a year
- Minutes in a year
- Seconds in a year