Convert Minutes to Days – Free Excel Calculator

Master Time Conversion in Excel

Time plays an important role when working with data analysis. Time management is not just a skill; it is an essential tool for good data analysis. When working with time units, you may need to convert one time unit to another. Excel is a great tool that can help you with this time conversion. It offers various functions and features to make time conversion simple and precise.

 

The Basics of Time in Excel

Excel’s Time Format

Excel stores time as numbers, i.e., 1 is equal to 24 hours in Excel. Any unit of time will be a fraction of 1. For example:

• 1 hour will be equal to 1/24
• Half a day will be 0.5

This format allows Excel to use arithmetic operations to add, subtract, or convert time units.

Key Concepts for Time Units

Below are the key concepts that you should know before performing time conversion in Excel:

• The Basic Time Unit: Excel stores one full day as 1, and hours, minutes, and seconds are stored as a fraction of a day.
• Conversion Factors: Hours, minutes, and seconds are related to each other by a factor of 60. You can use it to convert from one unit to another,
• MOD: The MOD function can be used to find the remainder when breaking down time to days, hours, and minutes.
• Division and Multiplication: Multiplication and division are used to scale time up or down during conversion.
• Leveraging Functions: Use the CONVERT function to automatically transform one time unit to another.

 

Convert Minutes to Days

Manual Conversion

Follow the steps below to manually convert minutes to days and hours in Excel:

STEP 1: Enter the value in minutes in column A.

Remember the conversion factor:

1 day = 24 hours

24 hours = 1,440 minutes.

STEP 2: Enter the formula to convert minutes to days.

STEP 3: Enter the formula to get your time in hours and minutes.

STEP 4: Drag the Fill Handle to apply the formula in columns B and C.

And there you have it! This manual method allows for a straightforward conversion using simple arithmetic.

The CONVERT Function

Unleash the power of efficiency in Excel with the CONVERT function, a nifty feature that can streamline your time conversion tasks:

The CONVERT Function: A Time-Saving Feature

• Simplicity at Its Best: Use the CONVERT function to seamlessly transform minutes to days or hours with minimal fuss. Just enter =CONVERT(A1, "mn", "hr") or =CONVERT(A1, "mn", "day") to watch the magic happen.
• Precision and Clarity: Favoured for its precision, the CONVERT function takes the guesswork out of manual conversions, offering clear and exact results.

Now let’s dive in:

STEP 1: Click on the cell where you want the result.

STEP 2: Enter the CONVERT Formula.

STEP 3: Select the cell that contains minutes.

STEP 4: Type the from unit as mn.w

STEP 5: To convert minutes to hours and days, type hr and day, respectively.

STEP 6: Press Enter.

STEP 7: Use the Fill Handle to apply the formula across multiple ranges.

Pro Tip: When using CONVERT, the list of units Excel provides can serve as a handy guide, but you’re not restricted to it. Feel free to type in the units manually to suit your precise needs.

Combine INT and MOD Functions

Harness the dual strengths of Excel’s INT and MOD functions for a meticulous breakdown of minutes to days, hours, and minutes:

Combining INT and MOD Functions for Precision

• Analogous to Time’s Components: Think of INT as the function for extracting whole days and MOD for the remainder in hours and minutes. They work much like hours and minutes do in timekeeping.
• Fusion for Accuracy: By working together, these two functions can provide you with an accurate representation of lengthy time periods in a more digestible format.

And here’s how you weave the two together:

STEP 1: Position the Formula: Select the cell where you want your converted time to appear.

STEP 2: Enter the formula:

=INT(B5/1440)&” days “&INT(MOD(B5/1440,1)*24)&” hours “&ROUND(MOD(MOD(B5/1440,1)*24,1)*60,0)&” minutes”

This formula divides the minutes by 1440 to get the number of days. The INT formula returns the days in whole numbers and MOD returns the remaining hours and minutes.

STEP 3: Press Enter.

STEP 4: Drag the formula down.

Make sure that the cell format is set to General or Text to display the output correctly.

 

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Navigating through Excel’s time conversion can sometimes lead you through murky waters. Here’s how to steer clear of common pitfalls:

1. Incorrect Cell Formatting: Excel might mistake time values for text or numbers. To avoid this, make sure that your cells are formatted correctly as ‘Time’ or ‘Custom’ to display days, hours, and minutes.
2. Ignoring Time as Fraction of Days: Remember, Excel sees time as a fraction of a day. Not keeping this in mind can skew your results. Always consider this when manually entering or computing time values.
3. Rounding Errors: When converting from minutes to days or hours, rounding can lead to inaccuracies. Use functions like ROUND, FLOOR, or CEILING to control the level of precision.
4. Misusing Functions: Certain functions like INT can truncate your decimal numbers, drastically changing your time values if used incorrectly. Familiarize yourself with the purpose of each function to prevent misuse.
5. Overcomplication: Sometimes it’s best to keep it simple. With manual conversions, avoid overly complicated calculations and stick to the straightforward conversions.

By consistently scrutinizing your formatting and calculation approaches, you can easily sidestep these common errors.

 

Practical Applications

Real-World Scenarios

Below are the real-world scenarios where converting time units becomes necessary:

• Project Management: To track project timelines, you may need to convert minutes spent on tasks into days.
• Payroll Processing: If attendance is stored as minutes, but for payroll calculations, you need to convert minutes to days.
• Event Planning: A time budget is vital for event planning, and conversion will help in documenting the timeline of events accurately.
• Science and Research: Time conversion will be required when documenting experiment duration or observing process.

 

FAQs

What is the formula used to convert minutes to days?

You can use a simple arithmetic formula to convert minutes to days.

= minutes / 1440

This is because there are 1440 minutes in a day.

How to convert minutes to days in bulk?

For converting large volumes of minutes to days and hours in Excel, consider the INT formula: =INT(minutes/1440) & " days " & INT((minutes/1440 - INT(minutes/1440)) * 24) & " hours ". Apply this to your data range, and Excel will compute and display the transformation in a days and hours format.

Pro Tip: Utilize the Fill Handle to drag the formula down to apply it to multiple rows of minute data.

What if my conversion results seem incorrect?

If your conversion results seem incorrect, double-check that the cell formatting is set to an appropriate data type (e.g., General, Number, or Time). Also, verify the accuracy of your formulas and make sure that you’re using the correct conversion factors. If issues persist, consult Excel’s function help or seek advice from online forums.

How to convert numbers to days hours minutes in Excel?

To convert numbers to a format of days, hours, and minutes in Excel, use this formula: =INT(number/1440) & " days " & INT(MOD(number,1440)/60) & " hours " & MOD(number,60) & " minutes". This breaks down the total number of minutes into separate components of days, hours, and minutes.

Be sure the cell is formatted as text to view the full string result.