What is nanosecond?
A nanosecond is a unit of time equal to one billionth of a second. It is critical in computer processor timing, high-frequency trading, optical communications, and physics experiments.
Real-world uses
Nanoseconds are used in computing to measure memory access times (DRAM latency is typically 10–100 ns), CPU cache operations, and network packet timestamps. Light travels approximately 30 cm in one nanosecond, a fact used in signal timing.
History
The nanosecond became a practical unit with the advent of digital electronics in the 1960s. Grace Hopper famously used a 30 cm piece of wire to demonstrate the distance light travels in a nanosecond, making the concept tangible for non-engineers.
Common mistakes
Underestimating how short a nanosecond is—light only travels about one foot in a nanosecond. Also, confusing nanoseconds with microseconds in performance specifications, which differ by a factor of 1,000.
What is minute?
A minute is a unit of time equal to 60 seconds. It is universally used for scheduling, cooking, fitness tracking, and expressing short durations in everyday life.
Real-world uses
Minutes structure daily life through meeting schedules, cooking times, exercise intervals, and transportation timetables. Medical professionals measure heart rate in beats per minute and respiratory rate in breaths per minute.
History
The minute comes from the Latin "pars minuta prima" (first small part), referring to the first division of the hour into 60 parts. This sexagesimal division originated with the ancient Babylonians around 2000 BCE.
Common mistakes
Using "m" as an abbreviation for minutes, which conflicts with metres. The correct abbreviation is "min." Also, performing arithmetic on time without accounting for the base-60 system (e.g., 1.5 hours is 1 hour 30 minutes, not 1 hour 50 minutes).
When is this conversion used?
Converting nanosecond to minute is useful in the time domain when comparing values across different measurement standards or applying formulas that require a specific unit.
Worked examples
1 nanosecond = 1.666667e-11 minute
1 minute = 60 second
How to convert nanosecond to minute
To convert nanosecond to minute, multiply the value by 1.666667e-11.
To convert minute back to nanosecond, multiply by 6.000000e+10.
Measurement standards
The SI second is defined as the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom, maintained by the BIPM and national metrology institutes worldwide.
Did you know?
Earth's rotation is gradually slowing due to tidal friction with the Moon. To keep atomic time aligned with solar time, "leap seconds" have been inserted 27 times since 1972 — though they are scheduled to be abolished by 2035.
Quick reference: nanosecond to minute
| nanosecond | minute |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 1.666667e-12 |
| 0.5 | 8.333333e-12 |
| 1 | 1.666667e-11 |
| 2 | 3.333333e-11 |
| 5 | 8.333333e-11 |
| 10 | 1.666667e-10 |
| 25 | 4.166667e-10 |
| 50 | 8.333333e-10 |
| 100 | 1.666667e-09 |
| 250 | 4.166667e-09 |
| 500 | 8.333333e-09 |
| 1,000 | 1.666667e-08 |
Common values
| nanosecond | minute | |
|---|---|---|
| Blink of an eye | 300,000,000 nanosecond | 0.005 minute |
| Average pop song | 2.100000e+11 nanosecond | 3.5 minute |
| Feature film | 7.200000e+12 nanosecond | 120 minute |
| One work day (8 hrs) | 2.880000e+13 nanosecond | 480 minute |
| One calendar year | 3.153600e+16 nanosecond | 525,600 minute |
Available Time units
More nanosecond conversions
- Convert nanosecond to second
- Convert nanosecond to minute
- Convert nanosecond to hour
- Convert nanosecond to day
- Convert nanosecond to week
- Convert nanosecond to year (365 d)
- Convert nanosecond to millisecond
- Convert nanosecond to microsecond
- Convert nanosecond to century (100 yr)
Assumption: year is defined as 365 days and century values are approximate.