Why is 60 minutes in a hour?

Answer 1

Having 60 minutes in an hour rather than, for example, 100 minutes, means that you can divide it into a relatively wide choice of smaller blocks of time consisting of whole numbers. That is, 60 is nicely divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30 and 60 without any fraction.

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Another reason for using the number sixty is that it's the largest amount you can count with one hand the way they did in old days (biblical times). People counted with only one hand because the other hand was usually holding something else (the product which was being bought, a staff, a sword, etc.), for counting beyond the number five with one hand the solution was to count the phalanxes of the four fingers with the thumb. Four fingers with three phalanxes count 12. For counting more than twelve they used the other hand to sum multiples of twelve and a full hand is five times twelve, thus 60.

This method is still used in many Arabic countries, especially by the less favored or less alphabetized.

It is also tied in connection with degrees (degrees (angles or rotation) are split up into 60 minutes)

Answer 2

Ancient Babylonians used a sexagesimal system for mathematics. This is a base-60 method of counting, much like our current math system uses a decimal, or base-10 method. Because it was base 60, an hour was divided by 60 and each minute was divided by 60, for math purposes.

Answer 3

Blame the ancient Babylonians for this one. They used a base-60 system for math, and as one of the first civilizations to do complex astronomical calculations, their method stuck. They are also the reason there are 360 degrees in a circle.

Answer 4

The Sumerians, of around 2000BC used the base 60 for their counting system.

Its a useful number as it divides easily by 1, 2,3,4,5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 30.

Why 60?

Possibly because there are 360 days in the year. That's 60 x 6 = 360. Or 30 x 12 = 360. Which is where months come from.

The Sumerians were keen astronomers, and kept accurate records to determine the length of years

Oh? The year is actually 365.25 days long.

Oh? A lunar Month (Moon-th)is only 28 days...

(4 x 7 = 28 ... which is why weeks are 7 days long)

The Sumerians knew about these errors but sensibly ignored them. Never let the facts spoil a good numeric system.