098

098 is a string that is commonly used to represent the decimal number 98, with a leading zero serving as padding in fixed-width fields, inventory codes, or other identifiers. In numerical terms, 98 is the natural number immediately following 97 and preceding 99.

As a mathematical object, 98 factors as 2 × 7^2. Its positive divisors are 1, 2, 7, 14, 49, and 98; the sum of the proper divisors is 73, which makes 98 a deficient number. In different numeral systems, 98 is written as XCVIII in Roman numerals; in binary it is 1100010; in hexadecimal it is 62; in octal it is 142. In programming contexts, a leading zero can denote octal notation in some languages, so 098 is typically treated as an invalid octal literal because digits 8 and 9 do not exist in base-8.

In science, element 98 is californium (Cf), a radioactive actinide discovered in 1950 and used primarily as a neutron source and in research. In astronomy, Messier 98 (often abbreviated M98) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices; its designation shares the number 98 but with an M rather than a leading zero.

The sequence 098 also appears in calendars, product codes, or catalog entries where fixed-width numeric formats are required. Its precise meaning depends on the specific context and the system in which it is used.