1538
Iron melts at about 1,538 degrees Celsius.
- Even
- Composite
Where 1538 fits
Why 1538 is special
Smelting iron requires reaching that temperature, which is why the Iron Age began millennia after the Bronze Age despite iron ore being far more common than tin. Availability of the material was never the constraint; the furnace was.
Same number, different meanings
How 1538 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
Smelting iron requires reaching that temperature, which is why the Iron Age began millennia after the Bronze Age despite iron ore being far more common than tin. Availability of the material was never the constraint; the furnace was.
- History
In 1538, English parishes were ordered to keep registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, beginning the record series genealogy still depends on (England).
- Science
Iron is far more abundant than the tin bronze requires, and the Iron Age still came later. The reason is 1,538 degrees: bronze melts around 950, and reaching iron's melting point needed furnace technology that took centuries to develop.
1538 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (4)
- 1, 2, 769, 1538
- Prime factorisation
- 2 × 769
- Digit sum
- 17
- Digital root
- 8
Representations
- Decimal
- 1538
- Scientific notation
- 1.538 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M D X X X V I I I
Binary
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 0 × 256 + 0 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 0 × 32 + 0 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 1,538
Octal
3 0 0 2
3 × 512 + 0 × 64 + 0 × 8 + 2 × 1 = 1,538
Hexadecimal
6 0 2
6 × 256 + 0 × 16 + 2 × 1 = 1,538
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 2 = 1,538.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 5 coils of rope, 3 hobbles, 8 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 5 × 100 + 3 × 10 + 8 × 1 = 1,538. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
2 corner wedges + 5 vertical wedges (sixties place), 3 corner wedges + 8 vertical wedges (units place)
25 × 60 + 38 = 1538. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
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
Related numbers & connections
1538 is a year in the 16th century, in the 1530s.
Iron melts at 1,538 degrees and boils at 2,862. That 1,300-degree working range is what makes casting possible: molten iron can be poured without evaporating.
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- appears inHistorical years
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
History
In 1538, English parishes were ordered to keep registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, beginning the record series genealogy still depends on (England).
DocumentedHistoryGeography: EnglandPeriod: 1538
Science
Iron is far more abundant than the tin bronze requires, and the Iron Age still came later. The reason is 1,538 degrees: bronze melts around 950, and reaching iron's melting point needed furnace technology that took centuries to develop.
DocumentedScience
Common questions
Is 1538 a prime number?
No, 1538 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1538?
The factors of 1538 are 1, 2, 769, 1538.
What is 1538 in Roman numerals?
1538 in Roman numerals is MDXXXVIII.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026