# Calculator for minutes and seconds **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 14, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724 "2003-06-14T02:06:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/1 "2003-06-14T02:06:37Z")
Does anyone make a calculator with which I can add or subtract minutes and seconds by entering them as decimals? For example: 5.50 + 2.15 = 8.05 (5 min 50 sec + 2 min 15 sec = 8 min 5 sec). I have a “scientific” calculator that takes several extra key strokes to do this, and it sure would help if I can input the figures decimally. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/2 "2003-06-14T02:13:36Z")
[How’s this?](http://www.calculated.com/products/9426.html?office) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/3 "2003-06-14T02:28:01Z")
I notice that calculator has keys marked “hour,” “min,” and “sec,” and I would guess you’d have to hit these keys before or after the numbers; that’s similar to the one I already have. I want to be able to just hit the numbers separated by the period, like in base-10. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/4 "2003-06-14T02:37:31Z")
According to the online user’s manual, the calculator will accept input in either format. So, if you wanted to enter 4 1/2 hours, you type [4][.][5][HOURS]. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/5 "2003-06-14T03:22:25Z")
Radio Shack used to have a calculator named ‘ChronoMath’ and I have one. I don’t know whether they still have one, or not. Mine no longer works since it isn’t Y2K compatible. Bob ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/6 "2003-06-14T06:17:39Z")
Here’s one that works that way (although the calculator was written for some other specific purpose) … to subtract, just add a minus sign before the number. [http://www.csgnetwork.com/timescalc.html](http://www.csgnetwork.com/timescalc.html) ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/7 "2003-06-14T06:19:33Z")
Wait… that calculator doesn’t make sense… since it doesn’t convert to the 5min 50 sec format at all. Sorry, ignore my previous post. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/8 "2003-06-14T10:20:18Z")
A scientific caculator should have a degrees, minutes, seconds button (probably marked DMS) which though its for the measurment of angles allows you to work in base-60 fractions. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/9 "2003-06-14T14:12:05Z")
I have Casio FX-451. I’ve used it for 20 years. It has two “base 60 conversion keys”: One key converts a real number to hours, minutes, seconds (h/m/s), while the other key converts h/m/s to a real number. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/10 "2003-06-14T14:19:56Z")
Yes, yes, these all have “conversion keys”. But I think what panache45 was getting at was the ability to, say, hit a single key for “Time Mode” and then you don’t worry about conversions, you just type in 12.30.25 and it knows you mean “12:30:25” and you can manipulate it the same as any “regular” number. Now _that_ would be handy! ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/11 "2003-06-14T14:25:21Z")
With degrees minutes seconds you should be able to set up your calculator to work exclusively in base-60. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/12 "2003-06-14T15:57:47Z")
And, of course, you can always use a spreadsheet or a programmable calculator. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/13 "2003-06-15T06:13:02Z")
Look for the Framemaster Timecode calculator. We use it in the Broadcast and Film industry. It covers Hours, Minutes, Seconds and Frames. Drop Frame or Non-Drop Frame. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2003, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculator-for-minutes-and-seconds/181724/14 "2003-06-15T06:22:04Z")
And I’d just program my calculator to do the conversions automatically. But I’m a hacker. That’s how I approach a problem.