Date
Reading the hour from a time
Definition
Reading the hour from a time means giving HOUR that time.
Syntax
=HOUR(serial_number)
Arguments
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
serial_number |
The cell that holds the time. |
Worked example
A clinic lists appointment times in B2:B4.
| A: Slot | B: Time |
|---|---|
| A | 7:20 |
| B | 12:05 |
| C | 16:40 |
Formula: =HOUR(B2)
Result: 7. 7:20 is in hour 7.
Practice
Cell A2 holds the time 18:45. In B2, write a formula that returns the hour of that time.
- In B2, write an HOUR formula for A2.
- B2 should show the hour of A2.
Step 1 of 2
Enter =HOUR(A2) in B2.
A2 is 18:45, so the hour is 18.
Formulas here use English function names, such as SUM, and a period as the decimal separator, in every language.
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B2 uses HOUR.
B2 now shows 18.
The next lesson is Raising a number to an exponent.
Related functions
HOUR is the function that reads the hour from that time.
Common mistake
Reading the minute instead, as in =MINUTE(B2): 7:20 then returns 20 instead of 7.