Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sexagesimal System
Sexagesimal System
Sexagesimal System
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
•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.
In the sexagesimal system the first column from the left represents the digits 1-59
(beginning 600) , therefore the second column represents...... 60 - 3599
= 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?
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
= 13403045
Write, using the sexagesimal system, the numbers:
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