Why are there only 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in a minute instead of 100?

Answer 1

The second is these days defined within the metric SI system in terms of the vibration of a Caesium atom, which is a constant It is NOT defined as a fraction of a year, which is not a constant but varies in length (which is why leap seconds have to occasionally be added to it).

Under the International System of Units, the second is currently defined as the duration of 9 192 631 770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom. This definition refers to a caesium atom at rest at a temperature of 0 K.

Mankind started measuring time long before the decimal system became prevalent. Seafarers needed to know the time at sea for navigation purposes,The night was divided into 12 subdivisions, corresponding to the 12 signs of the Zodiac and it seemed only logical to do the same for the days,

The Babylonian civilisation was at its peak 4,000 years ago (in territory corresponding to modern-day Iraq) ie before the Greeks and Egyptian civilisations became very developed and what the Babylonians developed as a system of weights and measurements was widely copied and adopted.

The Babylonian sexagesimal system (base 60) gave us 360 degrees in a circle, 60 minutes to a degree and 60 seconds to a minute, The same subdivisions were applied to hours as well as degrees. They operated a 360 day calendar too (with 12 months of 30 days each) amd once every 6 years added a 13th month, also of 30 days, to get the calendar and the seasons back in synch again.

Answer 2

The ancient Babylonians about 5000 years ago had a number system based on 60, just as our system is based on 10. They also had well developed systems of measuring and dividing time, which spread throughout the ancient world, and continued down to our own time. Because of their number system, they found it natural to group things into groups of 60 and 12 (five groups of 12 make 60). Thus they divided the day and night into 12 hours each, divided an hour into 60 minutes, and a minute into 60 seconds.

The Babylonians were also good at geometry and astronomy, and these sciences required precise measurements of angles. So they divided a complete circle into 6 "sextant" angles, and divided each sextant into 60 degrees. This is why we have 360 degrees in a complete circle.

It would be easier for us if we used divisions into 10 or 100 parts, like the metric system does for units of distance, weight, and volume. But it is almost impossible to change a widely accepted standard. Scientists for the past century have tried to get America to change to the metric system, to no avail.

Answer 3

You're asking a question of logic, which shows you have developed a lot of insight!

Many of our numbering systems are based on religious superstitions or ease of use. There are 7 days in a week, 3 gods in one, and 60 units in a minute/hour because of religious 'lucky' number traditions. Other measures, like a foot (size of average foot), etc. are because of convenience.

As for things divided by 100, that comes from the arabic invention of the zero and the logical concept of a placeholder for numbers. The French established the meter and divided it by 100, and we've been making things work with 100 ever since.

Answer 4

Blame the Babylonians... they had a base-60 (sexagesimal) system because 60 is evenly divisible by 1,2,3,4,5 and 6.

That also explains why a circle is divided into 360 degrees.

Answer 5

Same reason there are 12 inches in a foot and 3 feet in a yard, rather than 100 centimeters in a meter. We haven't converted yet.

Answer 6

It is the smallest number that has a lot of factors, above 10 factors.

Answer 7

Metric time does not exist.

Answer 8

you know i asked that same question in third grade and my teacher looked at me like i was a moron... and so i still don't know why. damn.

Answer 9

I don't know. Because time is different?

Answer 10

Because we have sixty fingers and toes.