Numbers·12
12
XII
1100

The number 12 — factors and divisors

Abundant

12 = 2² × 3. It has 6 divisors, adding up to 28.

Its divisors, itself excluded, add up to more than the number.

Laid out as dots

It fits as 3 × 4. The more divisors, the closer to a square.

Prime factors
2² × 3
Divisors
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12
Sum of divisors
28
Sum without itself
16
Coprime below it
4
Digit sum
3
Digital root
3
Roman numeral
XII
Binary
1100
Octal
14
Hexadecimal
C
Base 36
C
Bits
4 bits
Collatz steps
9 steps · peaks at 16
Prime before
11
Prime after
13

The grid

Ten per row, twenty rows. The filled cells are primes — you can see the multiples of 2 and 5 drop out in columns.

Numbers either side

How to read this

  • The prime factors are what the number is made of. The count and sum of divisors both follow from them.
  • Add the divisors, take the number away, and you get perfect, abundant or deficient.
  • The length of the binary form is the bit count. 255 taking eight digits is what a byte is.
  • Collatz: halve it if even, triple it and add one if odd. The count is how many moves reach 1.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Is 12 a prime number?

No. It breaks down into 2² × 3.

Q. What are the divisors of 12?

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12 — 6 divisors in all, adding up to 28.

Q. How is 12 written in binary?

1100, which is 4 bits. In hexadecimal it is C.

Q. How many Collatz steps does 12 take?

It reaches 1 in 9, peaking at 16 on the way.