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Sexagesimal System

The Babylonian numeral system was sexagesimal, or base 60. [1] They used a place value system with two symbols and columns to represent values from 1 to 59, 60 to 3599, etc. [2] This sexagesimal system is still used today to measure time, with 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour. [3] Converting between sexagesimal and decimal requires understanding the place value of each column.

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183 views13 pages

Sexagesimal System

The Babylonian numeral system was sexagesimal, or base 60. [1] They used a place value system with two symbols and columns to represent values from 1 to 59, 60 to 3599, etc. [2] This sexagesimal system is still used today to measure time, with 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour. [3] Converting between sexagesimal and decimal requires understanding the place value of each column.

Uploaded by

Moin Minnu
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Counting in 60’s.

Babylonia was a state in Lower


Mesopotamia (this is now southern Iraq)

2000 - 323 BC
Can you work out how many years this is?

1677 years
The Babylonian system of mathematics was sexagesimal, or a base 60 numeral
system.

Before we explain the sexagesimal system , we need to fully understand our own
current decimal system....
•We have 10 different digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

•We use a place value system, where the number is effects its value ie) 421
The digit 2 represents both 20 and 2000. 2365

In the decimal systems the columns are important. They represent:

Thousands Hundreds Tens Units Names of column

1000-9000 100-900 10-90 0-9 Range of values

10³ 10² 10¹ 10º Powers of 10


•They had only two figures; and

•They did use a place value system so where the number is affects it’s value

•To write any numbers they had to use a combination of the above figures in
columns for example:

=2 =3 =4 =5 =6 =7

=8 =9 = 10 = 11 and so on....

up until = 59.

Then, its up to the next column


To make larger numbers than 59 you must use the place value system:

Consider this number:

Therefore this is: 1 x 60 + 48 = 108

In the sexagesimal system the first column from the left represents the digits 1-59
(beginning 600) , therefore the second column represents...... 60 - 3599

Column 4 Column 3 Column 2 Column 1

603 602 601 60º


216000 - 12959999 3600 - 215999 60 - 3599 0 - 59
How about these?

= 6 x 60 + 48 = 408

= 1 x 60² + 8 x 60 + 29 = 4109
 Believe it or not but you use this system every
day- do you know where?

Just give yourself a little time…

How many seconds are there in:


2 hours 35 minutes and 45 seconds

2 x 60 x 60 + 35 x 60 + 45

= 9345
It is from the Babylonians that we
have derived the modern day usage
of 60 seconds in a minute, 60
minutes in an hour, and 360 (60 x
6) degrees in a circle.
 In the decimal system 12345 stands for:
10000 + 2000 + 300 + 40 + 5
1 x 104 + 2 x 10³ + 3 x 10² + 4 x 10¹ + 5 x 10º

In the sexagesimal system 12345 stands


for:
= 1 x 604 + 2 x 60³ + 3 x 60² + 4 x 60¹ + 5 x 60º

= 13403045
Write, using the sexagesimal system, the numbers:

30, 45, 5 can you write the


25, 32, 6 equivalent in
31, 26, 54 decimal form
1, 25, 31, 23
 25, 32, 6
60 x 60x 25 60 x 32 6
 30, 45, 5 90000 + 1920 + 6 = 91926

60 x 60x 30 60 x 45 5
10800 + 2700 + 5 = 110705  31, 26, 54
60 x 60x 31 60 x 26 54
111600 + 1560 + 54 = 1134214
 1, 25, 31, 23
23
60 x 31 216000 + 90000 + 1860 + 23
60x 60 x 60 x 1
= 307883
60 x 60x 25
 91
 52

 2000
 316
 3650
 210

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