When is the next leap year?

The rule for determining leap years involves a bit of math and logic. Here's a detailed explanation of how to determine the next leap year:

Rule for Leap Years

A year is a leap year if it's divisible by 4.

However, if the year is divisible by 100, it's not a leap year, unless...

The year is also divisible by 400, then it is a leap year.

Detailed Explanation

Divisibility by 4: The starting point is checking if the year is divisible by 4. If it is, it's a potential leap year. For example, let's take the year 2021.

2021 ÷ 4 = 505 with a remainder of 1.

Since there's a remainder, 2021 is not exactly divisible by 4. Therefore, it's not a leap year.

Divisibility by 100: If a year is divisible by 100, it might not be a leap year. To make sure, we need to apply the second part of the rule. Let's use the year 1900 as an example.

1900 ÷ 100 = 19 with no remainder.

Now, here's where the exception comes in. Since 1900 is divisible by 100, it would normally not be a leap year. But, because it's also divisible by 400, we continue to the next step.

Divisibility by 400: If a year is divisible by both 100 and 400, it is indeed a leap year. Let's continue with our example of 1900.

1900 ÷ 400 = 4 with no remainder.

Because 1900 passes this part of the rule, it is a leap year. This is why the year 2000 was a leap year, despite the fact that it's a multiple of 100.

Finding the Next Leap Year

Now that we know the rules, let's find the next leap year after 2021.

Starting from 2022 and onward, we can apply the rule:

2022 is not divisible by 4, so it's not a leap year.

2023 is not divisible by 4, so it's not a leap year.

2024 ÷ 4 = 506 with no remainder. It's a leap year!

So, the next leap year after 2021 is 2024.

By using this rule, you can determine leap years and non-leap years accurately for any given year.