48 (number)
From Halbeeg, the open encyclopedia · Af-Soomaali
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48 is a natural number that lies between 47 and 49. In Somali it is called "sideed iyo afartan" (thirty and eighteen). In the decimal system it consists of two digits: 4 in the tens place and 8 in the ones place.
48 is a composite number, meaning it has divisors other than 1 and itself. It has notable mathematical properties, particularly a large number of divisors compared to smaller numbers.
Mathematical properties
The prime factorization of 48 is 2⁴ × 3, that is, four twos multiplied together and then multiplied by three. Its divisors are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 48—a total of ten divisors. The sum of all divisors is 124; since the sum of proper divisors (excluding 48 itself) is 76, which exceeds 48, it is an abundant number.
48 is among numbers known as highly composite, meaning they have more divisors than any smaller number. Other members of this class include 24, 36, and 60. Because of this property, 48 can be easily divided into two, three, four, six, or twelve equal parts.
Representation in other systems
In binary, 48 is 110000; in hexadecimal it is 30. In Roman numerals it is written XLVIII. Also, 48 is four times twelve, making it convenient for numeral systems based on the numbers two and twelve.
Common usage
48 hours equals two full days, so the phrase "48 hours" is often used as a time limit in relation to reports, health monitoring, or administrative decisions. Additionally, 48 is four times twelve, a number commonly used in counting dozens.