My thought was that the Babylonians associated 60 with a special meaning, like how people often say 7 is their lucky number. Having 60 as their base, it is possible that people wished for good fortune. My other theory is about some historical events that resulted in this number system. A modern example would probably be “a baker’s dozen”.
After my research online, I found out that 60 is unique in a way that it is the smallest number divisible by all numbers from 1-6. It is easily divided into portions without fractions.The second reason is because 60 is an overarching theme in time. Every 60 seconds is a minute, and every 60 minutes is an hour. Also, 60 is a multiple of 12, so it is somehow related to the duodecimal system, base 12.The way the people at the time counted by hand. Here is a video that demonstrates this.
.jpeg)
Thanks for sharing, Caris. Nice find of a video demonstrating how base 60 is connected to counting by hand. Please elaborate a bit more on your first paragraph. Why might 60 be a convenient, significant or especially useful number system (other than maybe for good fortune)? Why is 60 significant in so many situations involving time and/or space? How is it different from 10, which is the common base we currently use?
ReplyDeleteEdit: Hi Erica, thanks for your response! I will elaborate here as to why 60 has better potential to be a base number. First, 60 has applicable significance in divisibility, making it a more useful choice for dividing quantities into smaller, equal parts. It is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 15, 20.... Also, people used 60 and related quantities in time tracking, geometric measurement, and other day to day activities. As a result, 60 is more advantageous for keeping things precise. In comparison, base 10 lacks the same divisibility as 60, which makes it quite limiting in real world applications. I hope this explains more clearly, thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update!
ReplyDelete