Kenapa 1 Menit Itu 60 Detik, Ngga 100 Detik?

Summary

This video explains why time is divided into 60 seconds per minute and 24 hours per day, tracing the origins back to ancient Babylonian civilization. The Babylonians used a base-60 system, making 60 a highly divisible number that allowed for easy divisions of time. Additionally, the 24-hour day is rooted in their base-12 system, with each day split into two 12-hour periods. Despite a failed attempt to switch to a decimal system in 1794, the existing time system persisted due to its practicality. Ultimately, we owe our current timekeeping structure to the Babylonians and other ancient civilizations.

Takeaways

• 😀 The reason there are 60 seconds in a minute is because of the Babylonian system of counting, which was based on the number 60.
• 😀 60 is easier to divide than 100, as it can be divided by 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, making it more convenient for time-related calculations.
• 😀 The Babylonian's preference for 60 also made it easier to divide the hour into smaller parts, such as 'half an hour', 'quarter of an hour', and '10 minutes'.
• 😀 If an hour were divided into 100 minutes, it would be more difficult to work with because 100 can only be divided by 2, 4, 5, and 10.
• 😀 The 24-hour day comes from the Babylonian practice of dividing the day into 12 parts based on their duodecimal (base-12) counting system.
• 😀 Babylonian people defined the day as the period between sunrise and sunset, dividing it into 12 parts, which led to the 24-hour day we use today.
• 😀 The decision to use 12 for dividing the day was based on the fact that 12 is a highly divisible number, making it more practical than other numbers.
• 😀 In 1794, a proposal in France suggested a decimal time system, with 10 hours in a day, 100 minutes in an hour, and 100 seconds in a minute, but it failed due to its impracticality.
• 😀 The decimal time system failed because it was difficult to divide 100 minutes into smaller intervals that were as easy to work with as the current system.
• 😀 We should thank the Babylonians and other ancient civilizations for their counting systems, as they made it easier for us to tell time without complex calculations.

Q & A

Why are there 60 seconds in a minute instead of 100 seconds?

The number 60 was chosen because it is a highly divisible number, making it easier to divide time into smaller units. It can be divided by 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, which makes it convenient for daily use.

How is the number 60 more convenient than 100 for dividing time?

The number 60 is more convenient because it has more divisors (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) than 100, which allows for easy divisions of time like halves, thirds, quarters, and fifths.

Why does an hour equal 60 minutes, and why not 100 minutes?

An hour equals 60 minutes because of the Babylonian system, which used the number 60 due to its divisibility. A system with 100 minutes would be harder to divide effectively.

Why is a day divided into 24 hours?

The 24-hour day stems from the Babylonian system, which divided the day into 12 parts, based on their use of a base-12 counting system. Therefore, a full day became 24 hours.

Why did the Babylonians use a base-12 counting system?

The Babylonians used a base-12 system because 12 is easily divisible by multiple smaller numbers, making calculations more convenient. This system influenced many of their timekeeping conventions.

What does 'one day' represent in Babylonian timekeeping?

In Babylonian timekeeping, 'one day' was defined as the period between sunrise and sunset, divided into 12 parts, which ultimately contributed to the 24-hour system.

What was the proposal made in France in 1794 regarding timekeeping?

In 1794, there was a proposal in France to adopt a decimal time system, dividing the day into 10 hours, 100 minutes, and 100 seconds. However, it failed due to its difficulty in division and the public's resistance to change.

Why did the French decimal time system proposal fail?

The French decimal time system failed because it was hard to divide and people were already accustomed to the existing 60-based system, making the transition difficult.

What historical civilizations influenced the current time system?

The Babylonian civilization, along with other ancient cultures, influenced our current time system by using highly divisible numbers like 12 and 60 for their timekeeping.

How does the Babylonian counting system affect modern timekeeping?

The Babylonian base-60 counting system has greatly influenced modern timekeeping, as we still use 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour, simplifying the division of time into smaller units.