Apart from having 10 fingers, is there any other reason we count until 10 and then repeat?
In: 8
Nope. 10 is just convenient to count to. If we had 6 fingers on each hand we’d most likely be counting using Base-12 instead.
>Apart from having 10 fingers, is there any other reason we count until 10 and then repeat?
Nope, no other reason.
The “count until X and then repeat”-part is referred to as the “base” of your number system and it’s just a convention, a common **language** if you will. All mathematical operations work the same, whether you use a base 2, base 10 or base 291 system, so beyond any real-life connections (switch goes on and off – base 2, hands have 10 fingers – base 10) there is no reason to use one over the other. As long as everyone just uses the same it’s easier to compare notes!
Nope, purely because it is easy to do on our fingers. It is convenient and that is it. And not everything uses base 10 for the same reason, convenience. For example computers use base 2 and base 16 because they map nicely to computer logic, ie: they are more convenient. And not all cultures use base 10 either. Ancient Egypt (and others) used base 12, and it was also counted on fingers. Instead of one for each finger they counted each joint on the four fingers of a hand using the thumb to point to the joint. This is also why clocks are 24 and 60 because they are done in base 12 and were originally designed by those same ancient Egyptians.
It’s actually easier to count in base 12.
Put your thumb tip of one hand on each fingertip (1-4). Then each finger middle bone (5-8) then each finger lower bone (9-12).
Then for 13, touch the other thumb tothefirst fingertip (12) and the original thumb back on the first fingertip (+1)
You can now count to 144 using both hands, instead of only counting to 10.
Just compare the Metric system to the Imperial in terms of something simple like typically measured distances.
Metric: 10mm to a cm, 100cm to a metre, 1000m to a kilometre.
Very easy to do basic math this way, easy to teach, remember, employ in every way.
Then we consider the Imperial or American system: 12 inches to a foot, 3 feet to a yard, 1760 yards to a mile.
just syllables i reckon. twenty-five is a bit of a mouthful compared to one, two, three, and etc
It’s entirely convention. The ancient Egyptians used a base-12 numbering system (which is a million times better, since it 12 is readily divisible by 2,3,4, and 6).
there actually are different number systems around the world. the decimal system (base-ten) is one of the most common, but there are several others (e.g. base 6, 12, 15 or 20 and some more)
What is your preferred number to organize larger quantities/simplify math?
Base 10 is a derivative of base 2
Our minds are tuned into it…there’s probably an evolutionary reason
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