Minute: Difference between revisions

A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle.

The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. Some rare minutes have 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit, however it is accepted for use with SI units.

The symbol for minute or minutes is min.

The fact that an hour contains 60 minutes is probably due to influences from the Babylonians, who used a base-60 or sexagesimal counting system.

Origin

The first division was originally known as a "prime minute", from Latin "(pars) minuta prima", meaning "first minute (i.e. small) part (or division)" of the hour. Likewise, the second was known as a "second minute", meaning "the second small division" of the hour.

Look up minute in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (February 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Henry Campbell Black, Black's Law Dictionary, 6th Edition, entry on Minute. West Publishing Company, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1991.
Eric W. Weisstein. "Arc Minute." From MathWorld -- A Wolfram Web Resource. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ArcMinute.html
Definitions of the SI Units

Time

Key concepts

Measurement
and standards

Chronometry	UTC UT TAI Unit of time Orders of magnitude (time)
Measurement systems	Italian six-hour clock Thai six-hour clock 12-hour clock 24-hour clock Relative hour Daylight saving time Chinese Decimal Hexadecimal Hindu Metric Roman Sidereal Solar Time zone
Calendars	Main types Solar Lunar Lunisolar Gregorian Julian Hebrew Islamic Solar Hijri Chinese Hindu Panchang Maya List
Clocks	Main types astronomical astrarium atomic quantum hourglass marine sundial watch mechanical stopwatch water-based Cuckoo clock Digital clock Grandfather clock History Timeline

Philosophy of time

Human experience
and use of time

Time in science

Geology	Geological time age chron eon epoch era period Geochronology Geological history of Earth
Physics	Absolute space and time Arrow of time Chronon Coordinate time Instant Proper time Spacetime Theory of relativity Time domain Time translation symmetry Time reversal symmetry
Other fields	Chronological dating Chronobiology Circadian rhythms Clock reaction Glottochronology Time geography

v t e Time measurement and standards
Chronometry Orders of magnitude Metrology
International standards	Coordinated Universal Time offset UT ΔT DUT1 International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service ISO 31-1 ISO 8601 International Atomic Time 12-hour clock 24-hour clock Barycentric Coordinate Time Barycentric Dynamical Time Civil time Daylight saving time Geocentric Coordinate Time International Date Line IERS Reference Meridian Leap second Solar time Terrestrial Time Time zone 180th meridian
Obsolete standards	Ephemeris time Greenwich Mean Time Prime meridian
Time in physics	Absolute space and time Spacetime Chronon Continuous signal Coordinate time Cosmological decade Discrete time and continuous time Proper time Theory of relativity Time dilation Gravitational time dilation Time domain Time-translation symmetry T-symmetry
Horology	Clock Astrarium Atomic clock Complication History of timekeeping devices Hourglass Marine chronometer Marine sandglass Radio clock Watch stopwatch Water clock Sundial Dialing scales Equation of time History of sundials Sundial markup schema
Calendar	Gregorian Hebrew Hindu Holocene Islamic (lunar Hijri) Julian Solar Hijri Astronomical Dominical letter Epact Equinox Intercalation Julian day Leap year Lunar Lunisolar Solar Solstice Tropical year Weekday determination Weekday names
Archaeology and geology	Chronological dating Geologic time scale International Commission on Stratigraphy
Astronomical chronology	Galactic year Nuclear timescale Precession Sidereal time
Other units of time	Instant Flick Shake Jiffy Second Minute Moment Hour Day Week Fortnight Month Year Olympiad Lustrum Decade Century Saeculum Millennium
Related topics	Chronology Duration music Mental chronometry Decimal time Metric time System time Time metrology Time value of money Timekeeper

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-==Astronomy==
-In [[astronomy]], the minute is a unit of angle, the ''minute of [[right ascension]]''.  It is equal to 1/60th of an hour of right ascension and can be further divided into 60 seconds of right ascension.
-The symbol for a minute of right ascension is  ''min''.
-The [[Earth]] turns on its [[Geographical pole|polar]] [[Axis of rotation|axis]] through fifteen minutes of arc in every minute of [[sidereal time]].  One minute of arc at the Earth's [[equator]] is approximately one [[nautical mile]].
-In old astronomical texts ''minute'' can also mean a unit of time equal to 1/60th of a day (24 usual minutes). These minutes correspond to the Latin ''diei scrupulis'', and used to express periods of planetary motions. For example, [[Kepler]] in [[Harmonices Mundi]] gives [[Saturn]] year as 10759D12', that is 10759 (Earth) days, 4 hours, and 48 (usual) minutes.
 ==Origin==

Revision as of 16:17, 18 October 2008

Origin

References