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How can you measure time?

You can use a timer or a stopwatch to time how long it takes to do something.

Short things can be measured in seconds, like doing 10 jumps on the spot.

Other things might take minutes, like walking to the shops.

Longer activities might take hours, like watching a film.

You can estimate how long it will take you to do certain activities by deciding if it will take seconds, minutes or hours.

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Example 1

How long do you think it will take you to write your name five times?

Would you write this in seconds, minutes or hours? You would probably estimate this in seconds rather than minutes.

Why not give this a go and time yourself with a stopwatch. Was your estimate correct?

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Example 2

What about these activities, do you think they take seconds, minutes or hours?

  • Eating breakfast

  • Spelling out your name

  • School playtime

  • Journey to a holiday

  • Tidying your room

Can you think of other things that take the same amount of time as these?

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Watch: What can you do in one second?

What can you do in one second?

Find out about some different activities you can measure in seconds with this video from ±«Óătv Teach.

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Activity 1

Estimate how long it will take you to do different daily tasks.

For example, estimate how long it will take you to:

  • tie your shoelaces
  • eat your lunch
  • walk one lap of your local park

You could then use a timer to accurately time how long it takes to do each activity.

Remember to record the time using the best units – second, minutes or hours.

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Activity 2

Have a go at this quiz!

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Karate Cats Maths game. game

Train with the Karate Cats to become an expert in addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, place value and more!

Karate Cats Maths game
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More on Time

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