1887
1887 is the year of the Michelson-Morley experiment.
- Odd
- Composite
Where 1887 fits
Why 1887 is special
It looked for the ether through which light was assumed to travel and found nothing. A famous null result, and the failure is what cleared the way for special relativity eighteen years later.
1887 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (8)
- 1, 3, 17, 37, 51, 111, 629, 1887
- Prime factorisation
- 3 × 17 × 37
- Digit sum
- 24
- Digital root
- 6
Representations
- Decimal
- 1887
- Scientific notation
- 1.887 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M D C C C L X X X V I I
Binary
1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 1 × 256 + 0 × 128 + 1 × 64 + 0 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 1 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 1 × 1 = 1,887
Octal
3 5 3 7
3 × 512 + 5 × 64 + 3 × 8 + 7 × 1 = 1,887
Hexadecimal
7 5 f
7 × 256 + 5 × 16 + f × 1 = 1,887
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 256 + 64 + 16 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 1,887.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 8 coils of rope, 8 hobbles, 7 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 8 × 100 + 8 × 10 + 7 × 1 = 1,887. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
3 corner wedges + 1 vertical wedge (sixties place), 2 corner wedges + 7 vertical wedges (units place)
31 × 60 + 27 = 1887. 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
Related numbers & connections
1887 is a year in the 19th century, in the 1880s.
The Michelson-Morley experiment of 1887 found no ether, and general relativity in 1916 explained why there was nothing to find.
View 1916 →Science
In 1887, the Michelson–Morley experiment found no evidence of the luminiferous aether (North America).
DocumentedScienceGeography: North AmericaPeriod: 1887Michelson and Morley found no evidence of the ether they were measuring. The null result was treated as a failed experiment at the time and is now the standard example of a negative finding reshaping a field.
DocumentedSciencePeriod: 1887
Common questions
Is 1887 a prime number?
No, 1887 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1887?
The factors of 1887 are 1, 3, 17, 37, 51, 111, 629, 1887.
What is 1887 in Roman numerals?
1887 in Roman numerals is MDCCCLXXXVII.
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