Mathematics
Ancient Indians used the joints of their fingers to count, a practice still seen today. Each finger has 3 joints, and the thumb is used to count them. How many can you count on one hand? How does this relate to the ancient base-12 counting systems?
Whole Numbers
1 Like
Answer
On one hand, there are 4 fingers (excluding the thumb), and each finger has 3 joints.
So, total number of joints that can be counted using the thumb :
⇒ 4 × 3
⇒ 12.
This is exactly equal to the base of the duodecimal (base-12) counting system.
This is why ancient civilisations developed base-12 counting systems — it could be naturally tracked using one hand, where the thumb counts the 12 finger joints. Many remnants of base-12 are still seen today, such as 12 hours on a clock, 12 months in a year and 12 inches in a foot.
Hence, we can count up to 12 on one hand, which corresponds to the base-12 counting system.
Answered By
3 Likes
Related Questions
Look at the sequence of numbers on one column of the Ishango bone: 11, 13, 17, 19. What do these numbers have in common? List the next three numbers that fit this pattern.
We know that Natural Numbers are closed under addition (the sum of any two natural numbers is always a natural number). Are they closed under subtraction? Provide a couple of examples to justify your answer.
Why does a negative times a negative equal a positive? Think of it in terms of action and debt. If a negative number represents a debt, then multiplying by a negative number represents the removal of that debt. (Hint: If someone takes away (–) four of your debts that are each worth ₹3 (that is, –3), you are effectively ₹12 richer! Therefore, (–3) × (–4) = +12.)
The temperature in the high-altitude desert of Ladakh is recorded as 4 °C at noon. By midnight, it drops by 15 °C. What is the midnight temperature?