Understanding Time Zones and Conversions
Time zones divide the world into regions that observe the same standard time. Understanding them is crucial for scheduling across regions.
How Time Zones Work
The Earth is divided into 24 time zones, each roughly 15° of longitude wide. UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is the reference. Zones are expressed as offsets: EST = UTC−5, CET = UTC+1, JST = UTC+9.
Converting Between Zones
To convert: add or subtract the hour difference. If it's 3:00 PM UTC and you need EST: 3:00 PM − 5 hours = 10:00 AM EST. Watch for date changes when crossing midnight.