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6 (number) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the number six. For the year, see 6
Quick facts for kids
← 5 6 7 →
−1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 →
Cardinal six
Ordinal 6th
(sixth)
Numeral system senary
Factorization 2 × 3
Divisors 1, 2, 3, 6
Greek numeral Ϛ´
Roman numeral VI
Roman numeral (unicode) Ⅵ, ⅵ, ↅ
Greek prefix hexa- / hex-
Latin prefix sexa-
Binary 1102
Ternary 203
Senary 106
Octal 68
Duodecimal 612
Hexadecimal 616
Greek στ (or ΣΤ or ς)
Arabic ٦
Persian ۶
Urdu
Amharic ፮
Bengali ৬
Chinese numeral 六，陆
Devanāgarī ६
Hebrew ו (Vav)
Khmer ៦
Thai ๖
Telugu ౬
Tamil ௬


The number six is a natural number that comes right after five and just before seven. In Roman numerals, you write it as VI.

Six is also known as the first perfect number. This means that if you add up all the numbers that divide evenly into six (which are 1, 2, and 3), they equal six itself (1 + 2 + 3 = 6). The next perfect number is 28.

Six in Math

In mathematics, the number six is an even number. This means you can divide it by two without anything left over. Six is also a composite number because it has more than two factors (1, 2, 3, and 6).

Special Properties of Six

  • Triangular Number: Six is a triangular number. You can arrange six dots into a perfect triangle.
  • Factorial: Six is also the factorial of 3, written as 3! This means 3 × 2 × 1 = 6.

Six in Nature

The number six appears often in the natural world around us.

Animals and Insects

  • Most insects, like ants and bees, have six legs. This helps them move around easily.
  • Many spiders have six or eight eyes, but some have six.

Plants and Crystals

  • The cells in a beehive are six-sided, forming a hexagon. This shape is very strong and efficient for storing honey.
  • Many snowflakes have six points or arms. This is because of how water molecules arrange themselves when they freeze.
  • Some crystals, like quartz, often form with six sides.

Six in Everyday Life

You can find the number six in many things we use and see every day.

Games and Sports

  • A standard dice has six sides, numbered from 1 to 6.
  • A standard guitar has six strings.
  • In baseball, a team gets three outs in each of the nine innings.
  • In basketball, a player gets six personal fouls before being removed from the game.

Time and Measurement

  • There are six months in half a year.
  • A standard dozen is 12, so half a dozen is six.

Six in Culture

The number six also has meaning in different cultures and stories.

Symbols and Beliefs

  • The Star of David, a symbol of Judaism, has six points.
  • In some stories, there are six directions: north, south, east, west, up, and down.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Seis para niños

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6 (number) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.