A program uses the number of seconds in a minute in various calculations. How should the item that holds this value be declared?

Declaring the item that holds the number of seconds in a minute as a constant integer, "secondsPerMinute," is appropriate because this value is fixed and does not change throughout the program's execution. A constant signifies that the value is intended to remain the same, which is crucial for something like the number of seconds in a minute—there are always 60 seconds in a minute.

Using a constant helps prevent accidental modifications to this value, which could lead to errors in calculations that depend on this specific figure. An integer type is also suitable because the number of seconds is a whole number, ensuring that precision is maintained without unnecessary use of floating-point representation.

In contrast, declaring it as a variable would imply that the value might change, which is not the case here. Using a float type is unnecessary for a whole number like 60, as it introduces the potential for rounding errors and typically consumes more resources. Therefore, the decision to use a constant integer for this value aligns with best practices in programming for defining immutable quantities.