How to Figure Out How Many Miles Are in Hours & Minutes

The product of a car's speed and time yields it distance traveled.

A mathematical concept most students learn in middle school is the relationship that rate times time equals distance. From the perspective of units, miles per hour times hours equals miles. If the units of time include subunits, such as hours and minutes instead of just hours, the calculations require an extra step. The goal is to convert hours and minutes to a decimal equivalent of hours. After that, if you know the speed, the original equation provides the distance.

Instructions

1. Divide the number of minutes by 60. For example, 12 minutes divided by 60 yields 0.2

2. Add the previous result to the hours. For example, 4 hours plus 0.2 yields 4.2 hours.

3. Multiply the speed by the previous result to figure out miles traveled. For example, 60 miles per hour times 4.2 hours yields 252 miles.

References

• Boston University: Speed, Distance and Time