Converting Units

**ExcelTip** · 08-29-2005, 11:12 AM

Problem:

Column A contains 4 pairs of numbers, which represent kilometers, degrees Celsius, milligrams, and days.
We want to convert the quantities to their equivalents in miles, degrees Fahrenheit, kilograms, and seconds respectively.

Solution:

Use the CONVERT function as shown in the following formulas:

To convert kilometers to miles:
=CONVERT(A2,\"km\",\"mi\")

To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit:
=CONVERT(A6,\"C\",\"F\")

To convert milligrams to kilograms:
=CONVERT(A10,\"mg\",\"kg\")

To convert days to seconds:
=CONVERT(A14,\"day\",\"sec\")

**Saray** · 09-08-2005, 03:00 PM

Hi,

Does anyone know how to convert minutes to seconds?

The data is presented as 4:11 (For example).

Thank you!

**Alan** · 09-09-2005, 07:27 AM

Hi Saray,

Originally Posted by Saray

Hi,

Does anyone know how to convert minutes to seconds?

The data is presented as 4:11 (For example).

Thank you!

To convert minutes to seconds, you just multiply by 60.

However, if you have a value in a cell, formatted such that it is *displaying* as 4:11 then it is probably formatted as either:

m:ss

OR

h:mm

It could also be formatted as text, but I am assuming not for now. From the context of your question, I imagine it is:

m:ss

since you asked how to convert mins to seconds, but someone may have formatted it 'lazily' as h:mm which *appears* similar to m:ss.

The only way to be sure is to either tell us the actual non integer portion of the *value* in the cell (probably either 0.00290509259... or 0.17430555... depending on which format), or tell us the actual formatting on the cell.

If it is *correctly formatted* as m:ss then to get from days to seconds you just multiply the cell value by:

(24*60*60) = 86,400 being the number of seconds in a day.

For example:

= 0.00290509259 *86400

= 251 (seconds)

Note: The above decimals are rounded approximations of course.

HTH,

Alan.

**Saray** · 09-09-2005, 12:53 PM

Hi Alan,

Thank you for your suggestion! It works!

Your help is much appreciated

**Alan** · 09-10-2005, 02:09 AM

Hi Saray,

Originally Posted by Saray

Hi Alan,

Thank you for your suggestion! It works!

Your help is much appreciated

You are welcome.

You asked how to convert so that is the answer given, but I would strongly suggest that you don't convert to non-standard units of time (ie anything other than 'days').

Better just to format your outputs so that they *display* as seconds so that you retain all the functionality of the built in excel options and it is easier to amend or add to later.

Your choice though.

HTH,

Alan.