Seconds in a minute
1 minute is the same as 60 seconds.
This fact helps when comparing short time intervals.
Year 3
Know the number of seconds in a minute and the number of days in each month, year and leap year
Recall key time facts about seconds, months, years and leap years.
Lesson overview
Time
Some time facts are important to remember. There are 60 seconds in a minute. A year usually has 365 days. A leap year has 366 days. The months have different numbers of days.
Months and their days
Some months have 30 days and some have 31. February is different.
| Days | Months |
|---|---|
| 31 | January, March, May, July, August, October, December |
| 30 | April, June, September, November |
| 28 or 29 | February |
February has 29 days in a leap year.
Year and leap year
A year has 365 days. A leap year has 366 days.
Leap years add one extra day to February.
Worked example
How many days are there in a leap year?
- Remember the fact for a usual year first: 365 days.
- A leap year has one extra day.
- 365 + 1 = 366.
- So a leap year has 366 days.
Try it
Use the key time facts you know first, then choose the correct answer.
Question 1
How many seconds are in 1 minute?
Question 2
How many days are in a usual year?
Question 3
How many days are in a leap year?
Question 4
Which month can have 29 days?
| Month | Days |
|---|---|
| February | 28 or 29 |
Question 5
Which statement is correct?
| Days | Months |
|---|---|
| 30 | April, June, September, November |
Common mistakes
Watch for these when working through the lesson.
- Mixing up 365 and 366 days.
- Thinking every month has 31 days.
- Forgetting that February changes in a leap year.
Related topics
These ideas fit closely with this lesson.
- Record and compare time in terms of seconds, minutes and hours.
- Compare durations of events.