SIXTEEN

Sixteen is the natural number that follows fifteen and precedes seventeen. In numerals it is written as 16; in Roman numerals it is XVI. In binary it appears as 10000, and in hexadecimal as 0x10. It is 2 to the 4th power and a perfect square (4 squared).

Mathematically, 16 is a composite number with divisors 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16. It is the base of the hexadecimal numeral system, which uses 16 distinct symbols to encode values and is widely used in computing. In binary representations, 16 is 10000, and in octal it is 20. Its status as a power of two makes it common in digital design and data organization.

In science, sulfur has atomic number 16. In measurement systems, the avoirdupois pound is defined as 16 ounces. In geometry, a polygon with 16 sides is called a hexadecagon. In music, a sixteenth note is a note value equal to one sixteenth of a whole note, representing a subdivision of the beat.

Culturally, the term “sweet sixteen” refers to a 16th birthday celebration in some regions. The number also features in technology and standards, such as 16-bit computing and 16-bit color depth, reflecting its prominence in digital systems.

The number sixteen appears in various contexts, including arithmetic, science, measurement, music, and culture, making it a frequently encountered integer in everyday and technical usage.