The division of a degree into 60 minutes is a convention used in the measurement of angles and time. It originates from the ancient Babylonians and has been widely adopted and standardized in various systems of measurement.
The Babylonians, who were skilled astronomers and mathematicians, developed a number system based on the number 60, known as the sexagesimal system. This system is believed to have been influenced by their use of a base-60 counting system, which was likely derived from their observations of the natural world. They noticed that the number 60 has many divisible factors, making it convenient for calculations.
When it comes to measuring angles, a circle was divided into 360 degrees by the ancient Greeks, who inherited this system from the Babylonians. Each degree was further divided into 60 minutes, and each minute was divided into 60 seconds. This division of degrees, minutes, and seconds is still commonly used in the field of geometry and navigation.
The same division of 60 is also used in measuring time. An hour is divided into 60 minutes, and each minute is divided into 60 seconds. This time division based on the sexagesimal system is still in use today, although alternative decimal-based time systems have been proposed in the past.
In summary, the choice of dividing a degree into 60 minutes is a historical convention rooted in the Babylonian sexagesimal system, which was adopted and standardized by various civilizations and has endured over time.