How do I calculate the difference between two times?

Question

I am so embarrassed by the fact that I can't figure this out.
Cell B2- 8:00 am
Cell C2- 10:50 am
Cell D2- (How do I get this cell to calculate the difference and say 2:50?)
I know this is probably one of the most basic operations, but for the life of me I can't figure it out. Cells B2 & C2 are formatted for 24 hour clock. But if I tell the system to just subtract the two, I get "0.118". Everything I find on the forum search goes beyond what I need. Can anyone help me?
Thank you.

Answer 1

KOENIG Yvan wrote:
Numbers states clearly in the Help and the PDF Users Guide that it doesn't know a "duration" object but a time one which is restricted to the range 00:00:0 to 23:59:59.
When I search the U.S. language Numbers User Guide for the word "duration," it is not found.
What may be more clear: _duration is not available but time is_?
Once again your response resemble to a rant againt the Help and the User Guide.
In the Help:
+date-time Any Numbers date/time value. _While you can choose to display only date or time in a cell, all Numbers date or time values contain both the date and time._+
Which wording would be more clear and precise?
TIMEVALUE
+The TIMEVALUE function converts a date, a time, or a text string to _a decimal fraction of a 24-hour day._+
Which wording would be more clear and precise?
TIME
+The TIME function converts hours, minutes, and seconds into a time format.+
+TIME(hours, minutes, seconds)+
+hours: The number of hours _(using a 24-hour clock)._+
+minutes: The number of minutes.+
+seconds: The number of seconds.+
Notes
+You can specify hour, minute, and second values greater than 23, 59, and 59, respectively. _If the hours, minutes, and seconds add up to more than 24 hours, Numbers subtracts 24 hours repeatedly until the sum is less than 24 hours._+
Which wording would be more clear and precise?
In the User Guide:
page 190
+date-time Any Numbers date/time value. _While you can choose to display_+
+_only date or time in a cell, all Numbers date or time values contain_+
+_both the date and time._+
+TIME (page 277) Converts a time to a decimal fraction of a 24-hour day.+
+TIMEVALUE (page 278) Converts a time in a string to a decimal fraction of a 24-hour day.+
TIME
+The TIME function converts the specified time to a decimal fraction of a 24-hour day.+
+TIME(hours, minutes, seconds)+
+• hours: The number of hours _(using a 24-hour clock)_.+
+• minutes: The number of minutes.+
+• seconds: The number of seconds.+
Notes
+You can specify hour, minute, and second values greater than 23, 59, and 59,+
+respectively. _If the hours, minutes, and seconds add up to more than 24 hours,_+
+_Numbers subtracts 24 hours repeatedly until the sum is less than 24 hours._+
+You can also specify fractional values for hours, minutes, or seconds.+
TIMEVALUE
+The TIMEVALUE function converts a time in a string to a decimal fraction of a 24-hour+
day.
TIMEVALUE(date-time)
+• date-time: A date, a time, or a string in any of the Numbers date and time formats.+
As you may check, the infos are exactly the same in the Help and in the Guide.
And I really don't understand how you may find them unclear.
Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE lundi 4 août 2008 14:57:36)