1831
1831 is the year Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction.
- Odd
- Prime
Where 1831 fits
Why 1831 is special
Moving a magnet through a coil produces a current, which is how essentially all electricity is generated to this day. Asked what use it was, he is said to have replied that one day it might be taxed.
1831 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (2)
- 1, 1831
- Prime factorisation
- 1831
- Digit sum
- 13
- Digital root
- 4
Representations
- Decimal
- 1831
- Scientific notation
- 1.831 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M D C C C X X X I
Binary
1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 1 × 256 + 0 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 0 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 1 × 1 = 1,831
Octal
3 4 4 7
3 × 512 + 4 × 64 + 4 × 8 + 7 × 1 = 1,831
Hexadecimal
7 2 7
7 × 256 + 2 × 16 + 7 × 1 = 1,831
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 256 + 32 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 1,831.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 8 coils of rope, 3 hobbles, 1 stroke
1 × 1,000 + 8 × 100 + 3 × 10 + 1 × 1 = 1,831. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
3 corner wedges (sixties place), 3 corner wedges + 1 vertical wedge (units place)
30 × 60 + 31 = 1831. 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
- Lucky number (mathematical sieve)
Related numbers & connections
1831 is a year in the 19th century, in the 1830s.
Volta's pile gave steady current in 1800 and Faraday showed how to generate it from motion in 1831. Between them they made electricity something that could be produced at scale rather than stored.
View 1800 →Science
In 1831, Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction, and Darwin sailed on the Beagle (England).
DocumentedScienceGeography: EnglandPeriod: 1831Faraday showed in 1831 that a changing magnetic field induces a current. Every power station except photovoltaic ones works by spinning a magnet inside a coil, which is that discovery applied at scale.
DocumentedSciencePeriod: 1831
Common questions
Is 1831 a prime number?
Yes, 1831 is prime — it has exactly two positive divisors: 1 and itself.
What are the factors of 1831?
The factors of 1831 are 1, 1831.
What is 1831 in Roman numerals?
1831 in Roman numerals is MDCCCXXXI.
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