59 (number) facts for kids
Fifty-nine is a fascinating number. It comes right after fifty-eight and just before sixty. Fifty-nine is special because it is an odd number, meaning it cannot be divided evenly by two. It is also a prime number, which means it can only be divided by 1 and itself without leaving a remainder.
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What Makes 59 Special?
The number 59 has some unique mathematical properties. As a prime number, it's one of the building blocks for all other numbers. Prime numbers are like the atoms of mathematics.
59 as a Prime Number
A prime number is a whole number greater than 1 that has only two positive divisors: 1 and itself. For example, 59 can only be divided perfectly by 1 and 59. Numbers like 4, 6, or 9 are not prime because they have more divisors. For instance, 4 can be divided by 1, 2, and 4.
How Prime Numbers Are Used
Prime numbers are very important in many areas. They are used in cryptography, which is the science of secure communication. This helps keep your online information safe, like when you use a website or send a message. They are also used in computer science and other advanced fields.
Fun Facts About 59
The number 59 appears in many interesting places in our world.
- Time: There are 59 seconds in a minute, and 59 minutes in an hour. This is how we measure time every day!
- Geometry: A regular icosahedron, which is a 20-sided shape, has 59 different ways it can be "stellated." This means you can extend its faces or edges to form new, more complex shapes.
- Technology: The TI-59 was a very advanced programmable calculator released in 1977. It could store programs and even use magnetic cards for data.
- Astronomy: The Messier 59 (M59) is an elliptical galaxy located in the Virgo Cluster. It's a huge collection of stars, gas, and dust far away from our own Milky Way galaxy.
Images for kids
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A regular icosahedron has 59 stellations
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The TI-59 was a programmable calculator (1977)
See also
In Spanish: Cincuenta y nueve para niños
