2006-06-08 06:21:59 · 7 answers · asked by Atlantis_maniac 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
The ancient Babylonians had a base-60 (sexagesimal) system because it divided evenly by 1,2,3,4,5 and 6. When they looked at a circle, they realized you could inscribe a hexagon, which can be further broken into 6 triangles. Since 6 x 60 = 360, this probably why they divided a circle into 360 degrees.
Further ideas on why a circle was divided by the Babylonians into 360 degrees:
360 is close to 365, the days in a year and at that time they had their calendar divided into 12 months of 30 days (approx. lunar cycle).
360 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 24, 30, 36, 40, 45, 60, 72, 90, 120 and 180 without having to use fractions so it is good for geometric constructions.
Note: the base-60 system is also the reason our clock has 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in a minute. Degrees are also split into smaller divisions of 60 minutes per degree and 60 seconds per minute. For all this 60 stuff, blame the ancient Babylonians.
2006-06-08 06:27:08 · answer #1 · answered by Puzzling 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The number 360 was probably adopted because of the number of days in a year. Primitive calendars, such as the Persian Calendar used 360 days for a year. This was most likely due to watching stars revolve around the North Star forming a circle one degree per day. Its application to measuring angles in geometry can possibly be traced to Thales who popularized geometry among the Greeks and lived in Anatolia (modern western Turkey) among people who had dealings with Egypt and Babylon.
The degree and its subdivisions are the only units in use which are written without a separating space between the number and unit symbol (e.g. 15° 30', not 15 ° 30 ').
2006-06-08 06:24:43 · answer #2 · answered by whoselineguy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually in Geometry we use 180 degrees. Trig is were we use 360 and it came from the first calenders when they believed there wa 360 days a year.
2006-06-08 06:52:20 · answer #3 · answered by bob8763763 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm gonna say look up a guy name Euclid. He is responsible for a LOT of 2-Dimensional geometric theorems and formulas and such. He might be responsible for the 360 degree thing too but I don't really know.
2006-06-08 07:51:46 · answer #4 · answered by tressa1220 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
360 degrees in a circle...
2006-06-08 06:22:58 · answer #5 · answered by tom_a_hawk12 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Egypt
2006-06-08 06:29:45 · answer #6 · answered by U 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what bandf said (in my opinion)
2006-06-08 07:00:35 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋