How many days are in a year?

• A. 365 days
• B. 360 days
• C. 364 days
• D. 366 days

Answer: (A)

The number of days in a year is based on the Earth's orbit around the Sun, which is about 365.2422 days. To keep our calendar in sync with that orbit, we use a standard year of 365 days and add one extra day every few years in a leap year, giving 366 days then. There are also rules for century years: a year divisible by 100 is not a leap year unless it is also divisible by 400. So, most years have 365 days, while a leap year has 366 days. The options 360 and 364 do not reflect the modern calendar, and 366 only occurs in those leap years. Therefore, 365 days is the typical count for a year.