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Hexadecimal time

Hexadecimal time is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hexadecimal time rather than just read about it. In short: Hexadecimal time is the representation of the time of day as a hexadecimal number in the interval [0, 1]. The day is divided into 1016 (1610) hexadecimal hours, each hour into 10016 (25610) hexadecimal minutes, and each minute into 1016 (1610) hexadecimal seconds.

Hexadecimal time — main illustration
Hexadecimal time — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Hexadecimal time belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Hexadecimal time to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Hexadecimal time from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hexadecimal time is the representation of the time of day as a hexadecimal number in the interval [0, 1]. The day is divided into 1016 (1610) hexadecimal hours, each hour into 10016 (25610) hexadecimal minutes, and each minute into 1016 (1610) hexadecimal seconds.

History This time format was proposed by the Swedish-American engineer John W. Nystrom in 1863 as part of his tonal system. In 1997, the American Mark Vincent Rogers of Intuitor proposed a similar system of hexadecimal time and implemented it in JavaScript as the Hexclock.

Implementation A day is unity, or 1, and any fraction thereof can be shown with digits to the right of the hexadecimal separator. So the day begins at midnight with .0000 and one hexadecimal second after midnight is .0001. Noon is .8000 (one half), one hexadecimal second before was .7FFF and one hexadecimal second before next midnight will be .FFFF. Hexadecimal time may also be formatted with an underscore separating hexadecimal hours, minutes and seconds; in full mathematical format this follows hex triplet web color scheme.

Conversions

See also Binary time Decimal time Metric time

References

Further reading Whitaker, Ronald O. (October 1972). "Digital Time". Letters. Physics Today. Vol. 25, no. 11. Indianapolis, Indiana, USA: American Institute of Physics. p. 79. doi:10.1063/1.3071119. Archived from the original on 2022-12-24. Retrieved 2022-12-24.

External links Hexadecimal Time Applet - digital and analog True Binary Time - local time as a binary number Analog hexadecimal clock - Florence Mean Time Minimal Hexadecimal Time Clock - real-time hexadecimal time display

Illustrations

Hexadecimal time: Nystrom's tonal clock-face. The proposed figures on the right are based on rotations of those on the left (assigning value 10 to symbol 9).
Nystrom's tonal clock-face. The proposed figures on the right are based on rotations of those on the left (assigning value 10 to symbol 9).
Hexadecimal time: A hexadecimal clock-face (using the Florence meridian)
A hexadecimal clock-face (using the Florence meridian)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hexadecimal time

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hexadecimal time claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hexadecimal time before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hexadecimal time ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hexadecimal time

In research
Hexadecimal time appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Hexadecimal time in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Hexadecimal time is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Clock designs, Hexadecimal numeral system, Time measurement systems, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Hexadecimal time outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Hexadecimal time in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Hexadecimal time means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Hexadecimal time out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hexadecimal time in simple terms?

Hexadecimal time is the representation of the time of day as a hexadecimal number in the interval [0, 1]. The day is divided into 1016 (1610) hexadecimal hours, each hour into 10016 (25610) hexadecimal minutes, and each minute into 1016 (1610) hexadecimal seconds.

Why does Hexadecimal time matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hexadecimal time?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hexadecimal time.

Tags

  • Clock designs
  • Hexadecimal numeral system
  • Time measurement systems

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