tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134418801703349975.post1651358809673811694..comments2023-05-12T11:17:29.120-04:00Comments on Math Arguments: 6: Why 360?Curmudgeonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04323026187622872114noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134418801703349975.post-58822804699836713322014-03-06T00:52:25.804-05:002014-03-06T00:52:25.804-05:00It's divisible by all whole numbers, except 7,...It's divisible by all whole numbers, except 7, from 1 to 10 (or from 1 to 12 excluding 7 and 11) This makes is very convenient to divide the circle into parts easily.Dalonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07717802479610077559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134418801703349975.post-23697165406230113332014-01-31T14:32:06.526-05:002014-01-31T14:32:06.526-05:00In the military we sometimes used 6400 mils. http:...In the military we sometimes used 6400 mils. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angular_milChrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05228380617381519344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134418801703349975.post-35168052911517550412014-01-29T15:58:34.323-05:002014-01-29T15:58:34.323-05:00I heard that the Babylonians initially estimated t...I heard that the Babylonians initially estimated the number of days in a year as 360, and since 360 is such a nice number with loads of factors it stuck. Much better than 365.25 but still very arbitrary! Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02497114328168501720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134418801703349975.post-47600054933363784012014-01-25T18:17:09.022-05:002014-01-25T18:17:09.022-05:00When I have this discussion with my students we ch...When I have this discussion with my students we chat a bit about why we kept 360deg around. One reason invariably is that 360 just has so many factors, which is a nice quality of life reason.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134418801703349975.post-2433905283660658082014-01-25T17:57:33.564-05:002014-01-25T17:57:33.564-05:00Which category are you including this in? Perhaps ...Which category are you including this in? Perhaps in the same one as the Platonic solids explanation of orbital diameter?Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04323026187622872114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134418801703349975.post-78855189831543399682014-01-25T17:37:23.465-05:002014-01-25T17:37:23.465-05:00Here's a potential "reason." The su...Here's a potential "reason." The sun and moon have an angular diameter of about half-a-degree in the sky, so about 360 suns and 360 moons together fit around the horizon.Jim Fowlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12962539345684926764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5134418801703349975.post-79647593805232148082014-01-25T17:31:10.768-05:002014-01-25T17:31:10.768-05:00Typo last line.Typo last line.Dan Meyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11323257310042023350noreply@blogger.com