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ftnunosilva
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I have a doubt: considering it takes 24h to a complete rotation of earth, why 1º corresponds to 60 min? It should be 4 min...
Can you help me?
Thanks you
Nuno Silva
Can you help me?
Thanks you
Nuno Silva
No.ftnunosilva said:So, this "minute" isn't the 1/60 of a hour?
This is due to the ancient Babylonians' sexagesimal system, which is based on the number 60. They divided a circle into 360 degrees, with each degree further divided into 60 minutes. This system was later adopted and used by many cultures, including the Greeks, who further divided each minute into 60 seconds.
A degree is a unit of measurement for angles, which is defined as 1/360th of a full rotation. This means that a complete circle is equivalent to 360 degrees.
The number 60 was chosen because it has many divisors, making it convenient for dividing angles into smaller units. This was especially useful in ancient times when people did not have sophisticated measuring tools.
Yes, the definition of a degree has changed over time. In the past, different cultures had different ways of measuring angles, such as dividing a circle into 365 degrees in ancient Egypt. However, the modern definition of 1/360th of a full rotation was established in the 2nd century BC by the Greek mathematician Hipparchus. This definition is still widely used today.
Degrees are used to measure both latitude and longitude on Earth. Latitude lines are parallel to the equator and are measured in degrees north or south of the equator. Longitude lines are measured in degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian. Together, these lines form a grid system that helps us locate and navigate on Earth's surface.