Duration¶

1 Definition¶

Non-negative interval Quantity of time equal to the difference between the final and initial instants of a time.

The duration is one of the base quantities in the International System of Quantities (ISQ) on which the International System of Units (SI) is based. The term “time” instead of “duration” is often used in this context and also for an infinitesimal duration.
For the term “duration”, expressions such as “time” or “time interval” are often used, but the term “time” is not recommended in this sense and the term “time interval” is deprecated in this sense to avoid confusion with the concept of “time interval”.
The exact duration of a time scale unit depends on the time scale used. For example, the durations of a year, month, week, day, hour or minute, may depend on when they occur [in a Gregorian calendar, a calendar month can have a duration of 28, 29, 30, or 31 days; in a 24-hour clock, a clock minute can have a duration of 59, 60, or 61 seconds, etc.]. Therefore, the exact duration can only be evaluated if the exact duration of each is known.
This definition is closely related to NOTE 1 of the terminological entry “duration” in IEC 60050-113:2011, 113–01–13.