1696
1696 is the year the window tax was introduced in England.
- Even
- Composite
Where 1696 fits
Why 1696 is special
Property owners bricked up windows to reduce liability, and the effects are still visible on Georgian buildings. It is the standard example of a tax changing behaviour in a way nobody intended.
Same number, different meanings
How 1696 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
Property owners bricked up windows to reduce liability, and the effects are still visible on Georgian buildings. It is the standard example of a tax changing behaviour in a way nobody intended.
- History
In 1696, the window tax was introduced in England, and windows were bricked up in response — a tax still visible on buildings (England).
- Finance & economics
The window tax of 1696 led owners to block up windows, and bricked openings remain visible on eighteenth-century buildings. It is the classic case of a tax base that people can physically alter.
1696 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (12)
- 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 53, 106, 212, 424, 848, 1696
- Prime factorisation
- 2^5 × 53
- Digit sum
- 22
- Digital root
- 4
Representations
- Decimal
- 1696
- Scientific notation
- 1.696 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M D C X C V I
MDCXCVI uses the subtractive pair XC: ten before a hundred — a hundred minus ten.
Binary
1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 0 × 256 + 1 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 0 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 1,696
Octal
3 2 4 0
3 × 512 + 2 × 64 + 4 × 8 + 0 × 1 = 1,696
Hexadecimal
6 a 0
6 × 256 + a × 16 + 0 × 1 = 1,696
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 128 + 32 = 1,696.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 6 coils of rope, 9 hobbles, 6 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 6 × 100 + 9 × 10 + 6 × 1 = 1,696. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
2 corner wedges + 8 vertical wedges (sixties place), 1 corner wedge + 6 vertical wedges (units place)
28 × 60 + 16 = 1696. 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
- Abundant number
Related numbers & connections
1696 is a year in the 17th century, in the 1690s.
The window tax of 1696 changed buildings and the factory act of 1802 failed to change conditions for want of inspectors. Both illustrate that a law's effect depends on how it can be enforced or avoided.
View 1802 →Numbers Around Us
- appears inHistorical years
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Other connections
- is associated with1802
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
History
In 1696, the window tax was introduced in England, and windows were bricked up in response — a tax still visible on buildings (England).
DocumentedHistoryGeography: EnglandPeriod: 1696
Finance & economics
The window tax of 1696 led owners to block up windows, and bricked openings remain visible on eighteenth-century buildings. It is the classic case of a tax base that people can physically alter.
DocumentedFinance & economicsGeography: EnglandPeriod: 1696–1851
Common questions
Is 1696 a prime number?
No, 1696 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1696?
The factors of 1696 are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 53, 106, 212, 424, 848, 1696.
What is 1696 in Roman numerals?
1696 in Roman numerals is MDCXCVI. XC is subtractive: ten before a hundred — a hundred minus ten. Written additively it would be MDCLXXXXVI, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
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