Elapsed time refers to the total amount of time that passes from the beginning of an event to its end. It is commonly measured in hours, minutes, and seconds. For example, if a movie starts at 2:00 PM and ends at 4:00 PM, the elapsed time is two hours. To calculate elapsed time, you can subtract the start time from the end time. If the start time is 10:15 AM and the end time is 12:45 PM, you would find that the elapsed time is two hours and thirty minutes. Understanding elapsed time is useful in daily activities, such as scheduling and planning.