Final answer:
One half of a number simply means dividing that number by 2. Therefore, one half of 60 is 30, and one half of 24 is 12, which are not equal. Understanding fractions and converting units of time are key mathematical skills.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question "Why is one half of 60 not the same as one half of 24?" is related to the basic concept of fractions in mathematics. When calculating one half of any number, you are dividing the number by 2. So, for the number 60, one half is 60 divided by 2, which equals 30. When it comes to the number 24, one half is 24 divided by 2, which equals 12. Clearly, 30 is not the same as 12, which is why one half of 60 is not the same as one half of 24.
Time can also be expressed in fractions of hours, such as "half an hour" or "a quarter of an hour." For instance, if we are to find one half of an hour, since 1 hour equals 60 minutes, we take one half of 60 minutes, which is 30 minutes. This concept is often used in calculations involving time.
To understand conversions between units of time, like seconds to minutes or hours to minutes, you use multiplication or division. For example, converting 4 hours to minutes requires you to multiply the number of hours by 60. Conversely, to convert 120 seconds to minutes, you divide the number of seconds by 60 as there are 60 seconds in a minute. Such conversions are essential in managing and calculating time efficiently.