How is military time calculated

Military time is a 24-hour clock system used by the armed forces and other organizations, such as hospitals and emergency services, to communicate times more efficiently. It is based on the Coordinated Universal Time (or UTC) where the day begins at midnight (0000) and the hour is based off of a 24-hour cycle, with numbers beginning at 0001 and ending at 2400.

The most common way to calculate military time is by using the formula of 0000 - 2359, which assigns a four-digit number (ex: 1337) instead of a two-digit number (ex: 1:37 pm). The first two digits represent hours whereas the last two represent minutes. For example, if you wanted to convert 5:30 pm from standard time to military time, you would subtract 12 from 5 to get 13 and then add "30" which would result in 1330 or "thirteen thirty" in military time.

Another way to calculate military time involves breaking down the equation into hours and minutes until five digits are achieved—e.g., 02063 for 2:03 am or 1745 for 5:45 pm. Like the four-digit format, there are no AM or PM designations in this method because only one full 24-hour clock is in effect.

To convert back from military time to regular time, look at the first two digits—if they are bigger than 12 they are converted by subtracting 12 hours—8 chosen converts into 8 PM; if they are less than 12 they remain unchanged—3 chosen converts into 3 AM. Then divide up the last two digits onto minutes - 14 selected becomes 1 minute 40 seconds.

See more about military time chart