16 (number)

From Free net encyclopedia

16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17.

<< 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 >> List of numbers -- Integers 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 >>
Cardinal	16 sixteen
Ordinal	16th sixteenth
Numeral system	hexadecimal
Factorization	<math>2^4 \,\!</math>
Divisors	1, 2, 4, 8, 16
Roman numeral	XVI
Binary	10000
Hexadecimal	10

1 In mathematics
2 In science
- 2.1 Astronomy
3 In human affairs: Age 16
- 3.1 In The United States of America
4 In other fields
5 External link

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In mathematics

Sixteen is a composite number, the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being Template:Num, Template:Num, Template:Num and Template:Num. It is the fourth power of two. For this reason, 16 was used in weighing light objects in several cultures. The British used to have 16 ounces in one pound, the Chinese used to have 16 liangs in one jin. In old days, weighing was done with a beam balance to make equal splits. It would be easier to split a heap of grains into sixteen equal parts through successive divisions than to split into ten parts. Chinese Taoists did finger computation on the trigrams and hexagrams by counting the finger tips and joints of the fingers with the tip of the thumb. Each hand can count up to 16 in such manner. The Chinese abacus uses two upper beads to represent the 5's and 5 lower beads to represent the 1's, the 7 beads can represent from a hexadecimal digit from 0 to 15 in each column.

Sixteen is the only integer that equals <math>m^n</math> and <math>n^m</math>, for some unequal integral m and n (m=4, n=2, or vice versa). It has this property because <math>2^2=2\times2</math>. It is also equal to 2↑↑3, (using Knuth's up-arrow notation).

16 is a centered pentagonal number.

16 is the base of the hexadecimal number system, which is used extensively in computer science.

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In science

The atomic number of sulfur.

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Astronomy

Messier object M16, a magnitude 6.5 nebula/open cluster in the constellation Serpens, also known as the Eagle Nebula Cluster.

The New General Catalogue object NGC 16, a magnitude 12.0 galaxy in the constellation Pegasus

The Saros number of the solar eclipse series which began on -2456 July 23 and ended on -941 January 18. The duration of Saros series 16 was 1514.5 years, and it contained 85 solar eclipses.

The Saros number of the lunar eclipse series which began on -2172 April 21 and ended on -874 June 8. The duration of Saros series 16 was 1298.1 years, and it contained 73 lunar eclipses.

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In human affairs: Age 16

16 is the age limit for being allowed a driver's license in many US states and in Canada, in Australia it is the age one can begin to get their Learners licence, and for getting an adult job in most states and provinces in those countries (as well as, complementarily, dropping out of school). It is also the age of consent for many jurisdictions around the world.

For its coming-of-age signification, it has inspired the titles of many songs, such as "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen", "You're Sixteen, You're Beautiful and You're Mine", "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Sixteen Candles", the last of which was borrowed as the title of a John Hughes movie.

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In The United States of America

Sixteen is a turning point age for young Americans. Not only do American sixteen year olds gain the ability to acquire an official driver's license, but female sixteen year olds also gain privacy laws surrounding OBGYN practices.

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In other fields

There are sixteen ounces in an avoirdupois pound.
There are sixteen different personality types in all in the Myers-Briggs classification system.
A note played for one-sixteenth the duration of a whole note is called a semiquaver.
In the 16-bit era, 16-bit microprocessor ran 16-bit applications.
Sixteen Kingdoms, part of Chinese history
Canada's Yellowhead Highway is designated as Highway Sixteen.
Interstate 16 is the designation for a US interstate highway in Georgia.
The fighter jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
16 is one of the "Lost Numbers" on the television show Lost, along with 4, 8, 15, 23, and 42.
16 is the retired number for former baseball pitching greats Whitey Ford and Hal Newhouser.
16 is the jersey number of the great former football quarterback Joe Montana.