"Alex Coleman" wrote in message ...
(1) I see several worthy attempts to write the time in a 24-hour
format. Does a definitive format exist?

I want to leave out the seconds. Also note that I am NOT referring
to computer conventions of any sort.

QUESTION: If it is 11 minutes past six in the evening then what is
the correct format?

1816 hrs
18:16 hrs
18:16 hours
18:16 h
18:16
18.16
18-16


18:11

Where did your 16 come from??

Does it vary between being written by a word processor and by hand?
See below.

(2) What is the correct way to write a decimal point? I am English
and that means that a comma is not the correct symbol for the decomal
point.


Broaden your mind.

In Engalnd we use a dot as the conventional decimal 'point' or poinr where the integer numbers end. On the Continent they conventionally (in some countries) use a comma.


Another fact is we tend to use the 'x' as the abscissa in England, and the 'y' for the ordinate. This is reversed in some countries on the continent.


The fundamental thing to do is to learn to understand what concept you are looking at or reading of, then the convention does not matter provided you can follow through the logic in terms of the convention the authore has used.


But ISTR that when the decimal point was written by hand it was in
the air about half the height of the digits. Typewriters and word
prorcessors did not offer that half-way character so a full stop was
used. But is it more correct to handwrite the decimal point as half
way up the height of the digits?



In maths we have a two fold use of the point.

It can be on the line or half way up and either way it indicates the integer stop point.

A dot can also indicate the arithmetical function ususally written as a 'x', multiplictaion.


The sexagesimal system of recording time, with 3'30''32


followed by a 'o' superscript, would read as 3hrs and 30 minutes 32 seconds AM. The same thing is indicated by 3:30:32, or by 03:30:32.


To translate it to decimal you divide the minutes by sixty, and the seconds by 3600 and add the results to the hours.

e.g. 3:30:32 = 3+(30/60)+(32/3600) = 3.509


In the 12 hour format the AM or PM should be used to indicate ante or post meridian. In the 24 hour format this is not necessary as the tme progress to the 13th hour etc. when the 1st hour post meridian is hit. In this case midnight is wrotten as 00:00:00.





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posted to 3 groups whose members probably
need to be accurate about time recording