SECOND function

This article describes the formula syntax and usage of the SECOND function (function: A prewritten formula that takes a value or values, performs an operation, and returns a value or values. Use functions to simplify and shorten formulas on a worksheet, especially those that perform lengthy or complex calculations.) in Microsoft Excel.

Description

Returns the seconds of a time value. The second is given as an integer in the range 0 (zero) to 59.

Syntax

SECOND(serial_number)

The SECOND function syntax has the following arguments (argument: A value that provides information to an action, an event, a method, a property, a function, or a procedure.):

  • Serial_number    Required. The time that contains the seconds you want to find. Times may be entered as text strings within quotation marks (for example, "6:45 PM"), as decimal numbers (for example, 0.78125, which represents 6:45 PM), or as results of other formulas or functions (for example, TIMEVALUE("6:45 PM")).

Remark

Time values are a portion of a date value and represented by a decimal number (for example, 12:00 PM is represented as 0.5 because it is half of a day).

Example

The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.

ShowHow do I copy an example?

  1. Select the example in this article. If you are copying the example in Excel Web App, copy and paste one cell at a time.Important Do not select the row or column headers.

Selecting an example from Help

Selecting an example from Help

  1. Press CTRL+C.
  2. Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
  3. In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V. If you are working in Excel Web App, repeat copying and pasting for each cell in the example.

Important For the example to work properly, you must paste it into cell A1 of the worksheet.

  1. To switch between viewing the results and viewing the formulas that return the results, press CTRL+` (grave accent), or on the Formulas tab, in the Formula Auditing group, click the Show Formulas button.

After you copy the example to a blank worksheet, you can adapt it to suit your needs.

 
1
2
3
4
5
6
A B
Time
4:48:18 PM
4:48 PM
Formula Description
=SECOND(A2) Seconds in the first time (18)
=SECOND(A3) Seconds in the second time (0)
 
 
Applies to:
Excel 2010, Excel Web App, SharePoint Online for enterprises, SharePoint Online for professionals and small businesses