Scientific Decimal Time
Scientists often record (rather than observe) time as decimals. For example, decimal days divides the day into 10 equal parts, and decimal years divides the year into 10 equal parts. Decimals are easier to plot than both (a) minutes and seconds, which uses the Sexagesimal numbering system, (b) hours, months and days, which has irregular month lengths. In astronomy, the so-called Julian Day uses decimal days centered on noon.
- Decimal seconds in a decimal minute
Since there are 60 seconds in a minute, a tenth part represents 60/10 = 6 seconds.
| Conversion between decimal minutes seconds | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal Minutes | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | ||
| Second | 6s | 12s | 18s | 24s | 30s | 36s | 42s | 48s | 54s | 60s | ||
- Decimal minutes in an decimal hour
Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, a tenth part represents 60/10 = 6 minutes.
| Conversion between decimal hours and minutes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal Hours | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | ||
| Minutes | 6m | 12m | 18m | 24m | 30m | 36m | 42m | 48m | 54m | 60m | ||
- Decimal hours in a decimal day
Since there are 24 hours in a day, a tenth part represents 24/10 = 2.4 hours (2 hours and 24 minutes).
| Conversion between decimal day, and, Hours and minutes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal Days | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | ||
| Hours:Minutes | 2h 24m | 4h 48m | 7h 12m | 9h 36m | 12h | 14h 24m | 16h 48m | 19h 12m | 21h 36m | 24h | ||
- Decimal months in a year
Since there are about 365 days in a year, there are about 365/10 = 36.5 days in a tenth of a year. Hence the year 2000.5 represents the day 2 July 2000. More exactly, a year is 365.25 days long, so a tenth of the year is 36.525 days (36 days, 12 hours, 36 minutes).
| Conversion between decimal years, and, Date | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decimal Years | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | ||
| Days | 36.525 | 73.050 | 109.575 | 146.100 | 182.625 | 219.150 | 255.675 | 292.200 | 328.725 | 365.250 | ||
| Date Time |
5 Feb 12:36 |
14 Mar 1:15 |
19 Apr 13:48 |
26 May 2:24 |
1 Jul 15:00 |
7 Aug 3:45 |
12 Sep 16:12 |
19 Oct 4:48 |
24 Nov 17:24 |
1 year | ||
Read more about this topic: Decimal Time
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