60 (number)
From Halbeeg, the open encyclopedia · Af-Soomaali
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60 (Lixdan in Somali) is a natural number that comes after 59 and before 61. It is a composite number (the product of 6 × 10), and it is even, since it is divisible by two with no remainder.
60 holds significance in mathematics and measurement because it has many divisors. 60 is divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60. This property led many historical measurement systems to adopt 60 as a base.
Mathematical Properties
The prime factorization of 60 is 2² × 3 × 5. It has 12 divisors in total. 60 is the product of the first three prime numbers multiplied by the square of the first: it is therefore a highly composite number—no smaller number has more divisors than 60. Additionally, 60 is the least common multiple of 3, 4, and 5.
The Sexagesimal System
The base-60 number system (sexagesimal) is attributed to the peoples of Mesopotamia, particularly the Sumerians and Babylonians. This system persists to the present day in the measurement of time and angles: an hour contains 60 minutes, a minute contains 60 seconds, and a circle is divided into 360 degrees, which is 6 times 60.
Other Uses
60 is used in everyday measurement: some countries set the speed limit on roads at 60 (kilometers or miles per hour). Some sports, such as professional basketball, have game times of 48 minutes, but timekeeping overall is generally based on divisions of 60. Additionally, 60 years is sometimes called a "cycle" in cultural terms—for example, the 60-year cycle of the Chinese calendar and similar systems in East Asia.