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Maths History

Why there are 60 minutes in an hour

Explore base-60 history in a child-friendly way.

Quick answer

There are 60 minutes in an hour because ancient people used a number system based on 60, called base-60 or sexagesimal. This system was used by the Babylonians over 4,000 years ago and is still used today for telling time and measuring angles.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will understand why we use 60 minutes in an hour and how ancient maths still affects our daily lives. Success signs:
  • You can explain that ancient people used base-60 numbers
  • You can show how 60 can be shared into equal parts
  • You can tell a story about how time was measured in the past
  • You can solve simple problems using 60-minute groups

Why this matters

Time is everywhere in our lives. When you wake up, go to school, eat lunch, or watch your favourite TV show, you're using time. The way we divide time into hours and minutes comes from ancient history. Understanding this helps you appreciate how maths connects to real life and how different cultures solved problems in creative ways.

How it works

Let's explore how the number 60 became special for time:
  1. Thousands of years ago, people in ancient Babylon (now Iraq) used a number system with 60 as the base
  2. They liked 60 because it could be divided by many smaller numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30
  3. Because of this, they could easily split time into equal parts
  4. They divided the day into 24 hours, and each hour into 60 minutes
  5. This system was passed down through many cultures and is still used today

Examples you can see

Let's imagine you're an ancient Babylonian and you want to share a day equally. You know there are 24 hours in a day, and each hour should be the same length. Example 1: Sharing the day
  • 1 day = 24 hours
  • Each hour = 60 minutes
  • So 1 day = 24 × 60 = 1,440 minutes
Example 2: Making groups If you had 60 pieces of food to share equally among 6 people:
  • 60 ÷ 6 = 10 pieces each
  • That's why 60 is special - it can be split into equal parts easily
Example 3: Counting in groups If you count by 5s up to 60:
  • 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60
  • That's 12 groups of 5
  • And 60 ÷ 5 = 12

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Time Traveler's Challenge You are a time traveler visiting ancient Babylon. You need to help the Babylonians divide their day into equal parts.
  1. First, you know there are 24 hours in a day
  2. Each hour must have the same number of minutes
  3. You want to make 60-minute groups
  4. 4th time: How many minutes are in 3 hours?
  5. 5th time: If you split 60 minutes into 10 equal parts, how many minutes are in each part?
  6. 6th time: What is 60 ÷ 12?
  7. 7th time: If you have 24 hours and each has 60 minutes, how many minutes are in a day?

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Thinking that 60 minutes equals 1 hour, but forgetting that 60 is the number of minutes
  • Why it happens: Children may not understand that "60 minutes" means "60 parts of an hour"
  • Fix: Use clocks or counting to show that 60 small ticks make one full hour
  • Mistake: Confusing 60 minutes with 1 hour in calculations
  • Why it happens: Children may think 60 minutes = 1 hour, so 60 + 60 = 120 hours
  • Fix: Show that 60 minutes + 60 minutes = 120 minutes, which equals 2 hours
  • Mistake: Not understanding that 60 can be divided by many numbers
  • Why it happens: Children might only know simple division facts
  • Fix: Practice dividing 60 by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60

Parent and carer guide

Help your child understand this history by:
  • Showing them a clock and pointing out how 60 minutes make one hour
  • Using everyday time examples like "It's 30 minutes until lunch"
  • Playing a quick game: "Count by 5s to 60" or "How many 10s are in 60?"
  • Connecting to their daily routine: "We spend 60 minutes at the park"
  • Remembering that 60 is a very special number because it can be shared in many ways
This is a fun way to show that maths connects to history and culture. It's not just about numbers - it's about how people thought and solved problems.

Practice questions

  1. How many minutes are in 1 hour?
  2. How many minutes are in 2 hours?
  3. How many minutes are in 3 hours?
  4. What is 60 ÷ 6?
  5. What is 60 ÷ 10?
  6. How many 5-minute intervals are in 60 minutes?
  7. How many 12-minute intervals are in 60 minutes?
  8. What is 60 ÷ 15?
  9. How many 20-minute intervals are in 60 minutes?
  10. What is 60 ÷ 30?
Answers:
  1. 60 minutes
  2. 120 minutes
  3. 180 minutes
  4. 10
  5. 6
  6. 12
  7. 5
  8. 4
  9. 3
  10. 2

FAQ

Why do we use 60 minutes in an hour?

The Babylonians, who lived over 4,000 years ago, used a number system based on 60. They found that 60 could be easily divided by many numbers, making it perfect for sharing time equally.

Who invented the 60-minute hour?

It was the ancient Babylonians who first used base-60 numbers. Their system was later adopted by other cultures and is still used today for time and angles.

Why is 60 so special for dividing time?

60 can be divided evenly by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, and 30. This means time can be split into many equal parts, like halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, and so on.

Are there other places where 60 is used?

Yes! 60 is also used for measuring angles (a full circle is 360 degrees, which is 6 × 60), and it's used in some sports like cricket where an over has 6 balls.

How does this connect to what I learn at school?

You learn that 60 can be shared in many ways, which helps you understand division and fractions. It also shows how ancient maths still affects our daily lives today.