The Earth takes approximately 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds to complete one full rotation on its axis. This is known as a sidereal day.

However, we typically use a solar day, which is the time it takes for the Sun to appear in the same position in the sky. A solar day is 24 hours long. The difference between a sidereal day and a solar day is due to the Earth's revolution around the Sun.