115
Moscovium is element 115, and the subject of a well-known UFO claim.
- Odd
- Composite
Where 115 fits
Why 115 is special
Bob Lazar claimed in 1989 that element 115 powered alien craft, years before any atom of it was made. The real element was first synthesised in 2003, survives well under a second, and has no such properties — but the claim is why the number is recognised outside chemistry.
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (4)
- 1, 5, 23, 115
- Prime factorisation
- 5 × 23
- Digit sum
- 7
- Digital root
- 7
Representations
- Decimal
- 115
- Scientific notation
- 1.150 × 10^2
Roman numerals
C X V
Binary
1 1 1 0 0 1 1
1 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 1 × 1 = 115
Octal
1 6 3
1 × 64 + 6 × 8 + 3 × 1 = 115
Hexadecimal
7 3
7 × 16 + 3 × 1 = 115
Read as powers of two: 64 + 32 + 16 + 2 + 1 = 115.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 coil of rope, 1 hobble, 5 strokes
1 × 100 + 1 × 10 + 5 × 1 = 115. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
1 vertical wedge (sixties place), 5 corner wedges + 5 vertical wedges (units place)
1 × 60 + 55 = 115. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Greek (Ionic)
rho, then iota, then epsilon, marked as a numeral
rho-iota-epsilon + keraia
rho + iota + epsilon written in descending order and added — the letters carry their values wherever they stand, so this is addition, not place value.
Hebrew numerals
qof, then tet, then vav
qof-tet-vav
The ordinary descending rule would give יה (yod 10 + he 5), which spells a form of the divine name, so 15 is written טו — tet (9) + vav (6) — instead.
Maya
1 bar (upper, twenties place) over 3 bars (lower, units place)
5 × 20 + 15 = 115. Places stack vertically with the smallest at the bottom, so the upper group is worth twenty times the lower.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Deficient number
- Semiprime
- Lucky number (mathematical sieve)
Related numbers & connections
Nihonium and moscovium were confirmed together in 2016, the products of separate Japanese and Russian-American programmes running in parallel for a decade.
View 113 →Numbers Around Us
- appears alongside113
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Culture
Bob Lazar said in 1989 that element 115 fuelled alien spacecraft. No atom of it existed until 2003, and the isotopes made since decay in well under a second. The claim is recorded here because it is why the number is known outside chemistry, not because there is evidence for it.
DocumentedCultureCulture: American UFO subculture
Common questions
Is 115 a prime number?
No, 115 is not prime.
What are the factors of 115?
The factors of 115 are 1, 5, 23, 115.
What is 115 in Roman numerals?
115 in Roman numerals is CXV.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 1 reviewer-confirmed record, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026