How many degrees are there in a standard time zone?

A standard time zone spans 15 degrees of longitude. This measurement is based on the Earth's rotation, which takes approximately 24 hours to complete one full rotation of 360 degrees. When you divide 360 degrees by 24 hours, you find that the Earth rotates about 15 degrees each hour. Therefore, each time zone is typically defined to cover 15 degrees, allowing for a uniform time change of one hour as one travels across each time zone.

This system helps maintain consistency in timekeeping across different geographical regions and is based on the position of the sun in relation to the Earth's surface. Each time zone corresponds to a longitudinal band where local solar time is approximately the same.