How come minutes and seconds are measured in increments of 60 and not 100?
The number 60 and its factors were used in the measurement of many things, several of which are still in use today. In length there are 12 inches to a foot. In angular measurement there are 6 x 60 = 360 degrees in a circle. In pre-decimalised currency in the UK there were 12 pence in a shilling. it started with the Sumerians they not only count fingers but the joints of each finger By using the thumb as a pointer, and marking off the distal phalanx, middle phalanx and proximal phalanx of each finger, we can count up to 12 on one hand Furthermore, by using the other hand to mark five multiples of 12 we can extend the count up to 60. The Sumerian number system was passed on to the Babylonians The Babylonians divided each hour of the day into 60 minutes. Each minute they divided into 60 seconds. These are not, however, the minutes and seconds we would recognise today. Each day was divided into a daylight portion and a night portion. These portions were then divided into 12 hours each. As
