How did they figure out that there should be 24 hours on a clock?

Question

I mean how did they figure out that there should be 24 a day

Answer 1

Somebody, long time ago must have observed the shadow cast by a stick on to the ground and calculated that from sunup to sundown it took a period of time that could be divided into 12. Trial and error got them the answer.

By the way, 12 was a common level of measure.

In the Bible, Jacob had 12 sons, who were the ancestors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
There were twelve apostles of Jesus.
In Shi'a Islam, there are twelve Imams
In Ancient Greek , the Twelve Olympians were the main gods.
From ancient times, most calenders have twelve months in a year. The zodiac as well as the chinese zodiac has 12 signs. In the same way the chinese use a cyclic 12 years to complete the zodiac.
There are 12 ounces in a troy pound .
There are 12 people in a jury.
In music 12 plays a significant part in intervals and pitch classes
There was also the 12 tasks of Hercules.

Even in the US, there are significant use of 12 as a measure.

The significant 12 may have come from common usage.
Where time is concerned, a new day is deemed to have started at the stroke of midnight. So there are 2, twelve hour periods in a day. It was natural to divide the whole day and night into 2 twelve hour periods. At twelve noon it would mean that 6 hours of daylight has passed and another 6 remained. Similarly, at midnight, the reverse hold true.


Throughout the ages, thinkers providers the answers that made our lives more ordered. My illustrations may not be right but in primitive times simple methods were improvised to tell time, sundial, water-clock, a clock made by passing fine sand through a constricted passage, etc.

Answer 2

We live on a world with a 24 hour day, the 24 hour clock only makes common sense. Is noon 12:00 PM or 12:00 AM half the people have no idea. For me it's 1200 simple and easy.

Answer 3

Back in ancient civilization, the Sumerian civilization had a method of counting, in which most of the "important" numbers pop up. 60 was a huge part of this system of counting. IE 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour. 12 was also an important number as well.

Because of this when sundials were first invented, this system of numbers was already in place and was quickly adopted and put into place for the newly founded technology. When the shadow had circled once it was considered 12 units, then they flipped it over to run the second circle. (Think if they had used a different number it would be different... a circle won't change because of how you divide it, it will still be a circle) Because we are very easily set in our ways it stayed this way throughout time. It was a fluke that we got used to, based off of the culture in which it had first originated.

Answer 4

there's not, there's 12, there's 24 hours in a Day

Answer 5

It was one of your country-men.
Caesar devised the first calender.
(i think)

Great name. The Medici were instrumental in Michaelangelo's life. Great life story. You should read it.

Answer 6

Sure beats a sun dial HuH?

Answer 7

by the number of daylight and nitetime hours

Answer 8

they just thought of it for a dare