How to Figure the Fraction of an Hour?
Calculating time as a fraction of an hour is often necessary for filling out time cards, billing clients and completing spreadsheets. Using fractions instead of counting minutes creates a smoother process and totals the time as hourly segments.
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Write down the complete hours as whole numbers
If the amount of time is over an hour, write down the hour or hours as an integer, and leave out any extra minutes. For example, write “2” for 2 hours and 12 minutes.
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Add a decimal point
Write a decimal point after the hours integer, especially if you are using a spreadsheet or planning to add several fractions together. After you calculate the leftover minutes as a fraction of an hour, you will write it as a decimal. A decimal is just another way to represent a fraction, but it facilitates simpler, clearer addition.
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Divide the minutes by 60
Divide the leftover minutes by 60. If you have 12 minutes left over, calculate 12/60. You now have three options. You can write the number as a fraction of 60 minutes or reduce the fraction to the lowest possible denominator: 1/5. Alternatively, as mentioned in Step 2, you can write it as a decimal amount: 0.20.
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Add the minutes to the hours
Write the hours and the minutes together either as fractions or decimals. For example, both 2.20 and 2 1/5 represent two whole hours and one-fifth of an additional hour.
