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jobyts
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Where did the 360 degree for a circle convention come from? By any chance, is it from the ~360 days for the Earth to revolve around the sun?
Yes. That's how we get 60 sec. = 1 min. and 60 min. = 1 hr. for time, and also 60 sec. = 1 min. and 60 min = 1 deg. for angle.Irrational said:they worked in base 60 didn't they?
*got there too late*
The origin of the 360 degree circle convention can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as the Sumerians and Babylonians who used a sexagesimal (base 60) number system. This system was based on the number 60, which was believed to have mystical and divine properties. The number 360, which is the product of 60 and 6, was used to divide the circle into smaller units for measurement purposes.
The number 360 was chosen for the circle convention because it has many factors, making it easy to divide into smaller units. It also has connections to the number 60, which was considered a sacred number in many ancient cultures.
No, the 360 degree circle convention was not used in all ancient civilizations. For example, the ancient Egyptians used a division of 360 degrees for measuring angles, but they also had a separate system of measuring circles using a division of 400 degrees. The Greeks also had their own system of dividing the circle into 360 degrees, but it was based on a different mathematical concept.
The 360 degree circle convention became widely accepted during the Hellenistic period, around the 3rd century BC. This was due to the influence of ancient Greek mathematicians and astronomers who used the 360 degree system in their calculations and measurements.
Yes, there are alternative systems for dividing the circle, such as the 400 degree system used by the ancient Egyptians and the 24 hour clock system used for time measurement. However, the 360 degree circle convention remains the most commonly used and accepted system for measuring angles and circles in modern times.