How to convert a time to seconds in Excel
Formula (Excel and Google Sheets)
=B2*86400Multiply by 86,400, the seconds in a day: =B2*86400.
- Result on the example
- one result per row in
C2, filled down toC6 - Works in
- Every current version
- Google Sheets
- Same formula
See it work
The formula is already in C2, filled down to C6. Change any input and the result updates, or edit the formula to experiment.
How it works
A day has 86,400 seconds (24 × 60 × 60) and a time is a fraction of a day, so multiplying by 86400 converts it to seconds: a 22:15 race is 1,335 seconds.
=B2*86400Result1335
B20:22:15The value in B2.
B2*864001335The * operator multiplies.
In Google Sheets
The same formula works in Google Sheets: =B2*86400. We ran it in Google Sheets mode on the same data and it returns the same results.
Other ways to do it
Each one was run on the same example sheet.
| Formula | Result | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| =ROUND(B2*86400,0) | 1335, 1188, 1503…Different result | Whole seconds, which is safer before comparing. Rounds away fractions of a second. |
| =B2*24*60*60 | 1335, 1188, 1503… | The same, spelled out. |
Common mistakes
- A time typed as 22:15 is read as 22 hours and 15 minutes. Type 0:22:15 for 22 minutes 15 seconds.
- Floating-point results like 1334.9999 need ROUND before you compare them or use them as lookup keys.
Try it yourself
Same data, empty answer cell. Your formula is graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data, so a typed-in number won't pass.
Convert a time to seconds
C2, convert the finish time to a number of seconds, and fill down to C6.Questions
How do I convert seconds back to a time?
=C2/86400, formatted as h:mm:ss.
How do I average the race times?
Average the times directly, =AVERAGE(B2:B6), and format the result as h:mm:ss.
Checked by running on 2026-10-30: every formula and result on this page was calculated by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine, in both Excel and Google Sheets modes.