The second (symbol: s) is the SI base unit of time. It is often abbreviated sec. in non-SI usage.

DefinitionEdit

The second is the duration of 9 192 631 770 [[Period (physics) [[1]] of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two Hyperfine structure [[2]] of the ground state [[3]] of the caesium-133 [[4]] atom [[5]].

OriginEdit

Originally, the second was known as a "second minute", meaning the second minute (i.e. small) division of an hour. The first division was known as a "prime minute" and is equivalent to the minute we know today.

ConversionsEdit

• 60 seconds = 1 minute [[6]]
• 3 600 seconds = 1 hour [[7]]
• 86.4 kiloseconds (86 400 seconds) = 1 day [[8]] (in the SI sense)

ExplanationEdit

See also explanation at [[9]]

The definition of the second was later refined at the 1997 meeting of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures [[10]] to include the statement

This definition refers to a caesium atom at rest at a temperature of 0 K.

See also Edit

• Leap second [[11]]
• Orders of magnitude (time)[[12]]
• UTC [[13]]
• Atomic clock [[14]]

External linksEdit

• Official BIPM definition of the second
• Public domain article about definition of seconds and leap seconds

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