rheller2000 t1_irmtiz2 wrote on October 9, 2022 at 1:48 PM

Reply to comment by insite in TIL French used 10h day instead of 24h between 1793 - 1805 during era called "decimalisation" by NightKnight_CZ

I don’t know Keffpie, and I’m no expert… but I’m guessing that his point was that having 12 hours/24 hours per day, and having (about) 360 days per year, allows is to divide up the day into smaller equal chunks than a 10 hour day would. 24 can be divided by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24. 20 can be divided only by 1, 5, 10, and 20. Ditto with 10 months. (Which the Republic didn’t have. They kept the 12 months, but renamed them.)

Ahelex t1_iroam7h wrote on October 9, 2022 at 7:50 PM

But 20 can be divided by 1, 2, 4, 5, 10, and 20.

Two fewer divisors than 24, but it's not too significant a change. You still get half and quarter days, nicer tenth and fifth days (i.e.: Integer divisors), and almost as nice eighth days (2.5, which is easier to do arithmetic with), but you get bad third and sixth days (repeating decimals).