20 milliseconds (ms) is equal to 0.02 seconds.
To convert milliseconds to seconds, divide the number of milliseconds by 1000 because there are 1000 milliseconds in one second. So, 20 ms divided by 1000 gives 0.02 seconds.
Conversion Tool
Result in seconds:
Conversion Formula
The basic formula for converting milliseconds (ms) to seconds is:
seconds = milliseconds ÷ 1000
This works because 1 second contains exactly 1000 milliseconds. Therefore, dividing milliseconds by 1000 converts the smaller unit into the larger one. For example, converting 20 ms:
- Start with 20 ms
- Divide 20 by 1000: 20 ÷ 1000 = 0.02
- Result is 0.02 seconds
This process applies to any ms value you want to convert to seconds.
Conversion Example
- Example 1: 1500 ms to seconds
- Take 1500 milliseconds
- Divide by 1000: 1500 ÷ 1000 = 1.5
- Therefore, 1500 ms equals 1.5 seconds
- Example 2: 75 ms to seconds
- Start with 75 milliseconds
- Divide 75 by 1000: 75 ÷ 1000 = 0.075
- So, 75 ms is 0.075 seconds
- Example 3: 5000 ms to seconds
- 5000 milliseconds given
- Divide by 1000: 5000 ÷ 1000 = 5
- Equals 5 seconds
- Example 4: 0 ms to seconds
- Zero milliseconds means zero seconds
- 0 ÷ 1000 = 0
- Therefore, 0 ms equals 0 seconds
- Example 5: 999 ms to seconds
- Take 999 milliseconds
- Divide by 1000: 999 ÷ 1000 = 0.999
- So, 999 ms is 0.999 seconds
Conversion Chart
The table below shows values from -5.0 ms to 45.0 ms converted into seconds by dividing each value by 1000. Negative values may be used in specific calculations such as time offsets or differences.
| Milliseconds (ms) | Seconds (s) |
|---|---|
| -5.0 | -0.005 |
| 0.0 | 0.000 |
| 5.0 | 0.005 |
| 10.0 | 0.010 |
| 15.0 | 0.015 |
| 20.0 | 0.020 |
| 25.0 | 0.025 |
| 30.0 | 0.030 |
| 35.0 | 0.035 |
| 40.0 | 0.040 |
| 45.0 | 0.045 |
Look at the ms column and find the value you want to convert. Then, check the seconds column next to it to see the converted time. This table works for quick reference without performing calculations.
Related Conversion Questions
- How many seconds are in 20 milliseconds?
- What is 20 ms in seconds converted to decimals?
- Can 20 ms be written as a fraction of a second?
- How to quickly convert 20 milliseconds to seconds?
- Is 20 ms less than or greater than 1 second?
- How does 20 ms compare to 0.02 seconds?
- What formula should I use to turn 20 ms into seconds?
Conversion Definitions
ms (milliseconds): A millisecond is one-thousandth of a second, represented as 1/1000 seconds. It is a unit used to measure very short time intervals in fields like computing, physics, and electronics. The abbreviation “ms” is used to denote this time unit.
Seconds: Seconds is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). One second equals the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of radiation of a cesium atom. It is used widely for timekeeping and defining durations in everyday life and scientific calculations.
Conversion FAQs
Is it possible to convert milliseconds to seconds without a calculator?
Yes, since 1000 milliseconds equals 1 second, you can convert milliseconds to seconds by dividing the number by 1000 manually. For small numbers like 20 ms, you can think of it as moving the decimal point three places to the left, turning 20 into 0.020.
Can milliseconds have negative values when converting to seconds?
Negative milliseconds can appear in some contexts like time offsets or differences where a time value is behind a reference point. When converting, negative milliseconds become negative seconds by the same division rule. For example, -500 ms equals -0.5 seconds.
Why do we divide by 1000 to convert ms to seconds?
Because the millisecond is defined as one-thousandth of a second, dividing by 1000 converts the smaller unit (ms) into the larger unit (s). This is a simple scaling factor based on the metric system’s decimal structure.
Is the conversion from ms to seconds exact?
Yes, the conversion is exact since 1 second is exactly 1000 milliseconds. There are no rounding issues unless you choose to round the decimal result in calculations or display.
How does converting ms to seconds affect time measurements in computing?
Converting ms to seconds can help when programming timers or synchronizing events that use seconds as units, but need finer precision internally. It allows easier interpretation of time intervals in seconds while preserving the original precision.