Minute

Minute

A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th (the first sexagesimal fraction[1]) of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units.[2] The SI symbol for minute or minutes is min (for time measurement) or apostrophe after a number, eg 5' (for angle measurement, even if it is informally used for time).

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 Earth turns on its polar 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 (roughly 29.5 years),

See also

References

  1. ^ "What is the origin of hours, minutes and seconds?". Wisteme. http://www.wisteme.com/question.view?targetAction=viewQuestionTab&id=1768. Retrieved 2011-05-25. "What we now call a minute derives from the first fractional sexagesimal place" 
  2. ^ "Non-SI units accepted for use with the SI, and units based on fundamental constants". Bureau International de Poids et Mesures. http://www.bipm.org/en/si/si_brochure/chapter4/table6.html. Retrieved 2011-05-25. 

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • MINUTE — Forme initiale et essentielle de l’acte notarié rédigé pour instrumenter un acte juridique dont le notaire a été constitué témoin privilégié et auquel il apporte la sanction de l’autorité qui l’a investi. Malgré son caractère matériel de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • minute — 1. (mi nu t ) s. f. 1°   La soixantième partie d une heure. Une demi minute. La minute contient soixante secondes.    Compter les minutes, être dans une attente qui fait trouver le temps long. •   Sitôt que quelqu un arrivait... je sortais en… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Minute — Min ute, a. Of or pertaining to a minute or minutes; occurring at or marking successive minutes. [1913 Webster] {Minute bell}, a bell tolled at intervals of a minute, as to give notice of a death or a funeral. {Minute book}, a book in which… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • minute — Ⅰ. minute [1] ► NOUN 1) a period of time equal to sixty seconds or a sixtieth of an hour. 2) (a minute) informal a very short time. 3) (also arc minute or minute of arc) a sixtieth of a degree of angular measurement …   English terms dictionary

  • Minute — Mi*nute (m[imac]*n[=u]t or m[i^]*n[=u]t ), a. [L. minutus, p. p. of minuere to lessen. See {Minish}, {Minor}, and cf. {Menu}, {Minuet}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Very small; little; tiny; fine; slight; slender; inconsiderable; as, minute details. Minute …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • minute — minute1 [min′it] n. [OFr < ML minuta < L (pars) minuta (prima), (first) small (part), term used by Ptolemy for the sixtieth part of a unit in his system of fractions (of the circle, radius, day, later applied also to the hour): see MINUTE2] …   English World dictionary

  • Minute — Min ute (?; 277), n. [LL. minuta a small portion, small coin, fr. L. minutus small: cf. F. minute. See 4th {Minute}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The sixtieth part of an hour; sixty seconds. (Abbrev. m. or min.; as, 4 h. 30 m.) [1913 Webster] Four minutes …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Minute — minutė statusas T sritis Standartizacija ir metrologija apibrėžtis Dalinis plokščiojo kampo matavimo vienetas. Žymima ′: 1′ = (1/60)° = π/10800 rad. atitikmenys: angl. minute vok. Minute, f rus. минута, f pranc. minute, f ryšiai: homonimas –… …   Penkiakalbis aiškinamasis metrologijos terminų žodynas

  • minute — minutė statusas T sritis Standartizacija ir metrologija apibrėžtis Dalinis plokščiojo kampo matavimo vienetas. Žymima ′: 1′ = (1/60)° = π/10800 rad. atitikmenys: angl. minute vok. Minute, f rus. минута, f pranc. minute, f ryšiai: homonimas –… …   Penkiakalbis aiškinamasis metrologijos terminų žodynas

  • minutė — statusas T sritis Standartizacija ir metrologija apibrėžtis Dalinis plokščiojo kampo matavimo vienetas. Žymima ′: 1′ = (1/60)° = π/10800 rad. atitikmenys: angl. minute vok. Minute, f rus. минута, f pranc. minute, f ryšiai: homonimas – minutė …   Penkiakalbis aiškinamasis metrologijos terminų žodynas

  • minute — Minute, Scheda, Schedula B. ex Iustiniano. Il vient de Minutus, Venant de Minuo. Car ordinairement on escrit une minute de lettre menuë, et tellement quellement escrite. Et que ainsi soit, il apper par ce que le contraire de la minute nous… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”