Explanation
In the Excel date system, one day is equal to 1, so you can think of time as fractional values of 1, as shown in the table below:
| Hours | Fraction | Minutes | Value | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1/24 | 60 | 0.04167 | 1:00 |
| 3 | 3/24 | 180 | 0.125 | 3:00 |
| 6 | 6/24 | 360 | 0.25 | 6:00 |
| 4 | 4/24 | 240 | 0.167 | 4:00 |
| 8 | 8/24 | 480 | 0.333 | 8:00 |
| 12 | 12/24 | 720 | 0.5 | 12:00 |
| 18 | 18/24 | 1080 | 0.75 | 18:00 |
| 21 | 21/24 | 1260 | 0.875 | 21:00 |
This means if you have a decimal number for minutes, you can divide by 1440 (24 x 60) to get the correct representation of minutes in Excel. After dividing by 1440, you can apply a time format of your choice, or use the result in a math operation with other dates or times.
In the example, since B11 contains 720 (representing 720 minutes) the result is 720/1440 = 0.5. Once a time format like h:mm has been applied, Excel will display 12:00.
Durations
To display hours that represent a duration longer than 24 hours, or minutes in durations longer than 60 minutes, you'll need to adjust the number format by adding square brackets.
[h]:mm // hours > 24
[m] // minutes > 60
The brackets signal to Excel that the time is a duration, and not a time of day.
Related formulas
Convert decimal hours to Excel time
Convert decimal seconds to Excel time
Calculate hours between two times
Add decimal hours to time
