212
212°F is the boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure — exactly 100°C on the Celsius scale.
- Even
- Composite
Where 212 fits
Why 212 is special
212 marks the opposite end of the Fahrenheit scale's original fixed points from 32: together they define the freezing (32°F) and boiling (212°F) points of water at standard atmospheric pressure, exactly 180 degrees apart on the Fahrenheit scale.
Same number, different meanings
How 212 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
212 marks the opposite end of the Fahrenheit scale's original fixed points from 32: together they define the freezing (32°F) and boiling (212°F) points of water at standard atmospheric pressure, exactly 180 degrees apart on the Fahrenheit scale.
- History
Fahrenheit did not choose 32 and 212 for water; he set his zero at the coldest temperature he could reliably reproduce with a brine mixture and his other reference near human body temperature, and water's freezing and boiling points fell where they fell. Later standardisation reversed the logic, redefining the scale on water so that the interval between them is exactly 180 degrees. The numbers therefore look arbitrary because they are the residue of the original scale rather than its design.
- Culture
212 was assigned to New York City in 1947 as one of the original North American area codes, and the short dialling pattern it produced on a rotary phone was part of why the busiest areas received codes like it. As Manhattan filled and overlay codes were added from 1984 onward, an existing 212 number became a marker of long tenure, and the code has been used as shorthand for the borough in music and branding since — most visibly in Azealia Banks's 2011 single.
- Science
212°F is the boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure, exactly equivalent to 100°C — one of the two fixed reference points, along with 32°F, that define the Fahrenheit temperature scale.
- Geography
+212 reaches Morocco, opening the 21x North African range that continues with Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The code also covers Western Sahara, whose status is disputed, which the numbering plan does not attempt to reflect.
212 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (6)
- 1, 2, 4, 53, 106, 212
- Prime factorisation
- 2^2 × 53
- Digit sum
- 5
- Digital root
- 5
Representations
- Decimal
- 212
- Scientific notation
- 2.120 × 10^2
Roman numerals
C C X I I
Binary
1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0
1 × 128 + 1 × 64 + 0 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 212
Octal
3 2 4
3 × 64 + 2 × 8 + 4 × 1 = 212
Hexadecimal
d 4
d × 16 + 4 × 1 = 212
Read as powers of two: 128 + 64 + 16 + 4 = 212.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
2 coils of rope, 1 hobble, 2 strokes
2 × 100 + 1 × 10 + 2 × 1 = 212. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
3 vertical wedges (sixties place), 3 corner wedges + 2 vertical wedges (units place)
3 × 60 + 32 = 212. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Greek (Ionic)
sigma, then iota, then beta, marked as a numeral
sigma-iota-beta + keraia
sigma + iota + beta written in descending order and added — the letters carry their values wherever they stand, so this is addition, not place value.
Hebrew numerals
resh, then yod, then bet
resh-yod-bet
resh (200) + yod (10) + bet (2) = 212, written in descending order.
Maya
2 bars (upper, twenties place) over 2 bars + 2 dots (lower, units place)
10 × 20 + 12 = 212. 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
- Palindromic number
- Deficient number
Related numbers & connections
Consecutive North African calling codes — Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia at +216 and Libya at +218 occupy a contiguous run of the 21x range.
View 213 →212 °F is water's boiling point — the same physical state as 100 °C, expressed on a scale with a different zero and a smaller degree.
History
Fahrenheit did not choose 32 and 212 for water; he set his zero at the coldest temperature he could reliably reproduce with a brine mixture and his other reference near human body temperature, and water's freezing and boiling points fell where they fell. Later standardisation reversed the logic, redefining the scale on water so that the interval between them is exactly 180 degrees. The numbers therefore look arbitrary because they are the residue of the original scale rather than its design.
DocumentedHistoryPeriod: 1724 onwards
Culture
212 was assigned to New York City in 1947 as one of the original North American area codes, and the short dialling pattern it produced on a rotary phone was part of why the busiest areas received codes like it. As Manhattan filled and overlay codes were added from 1984 onward, an existing 212 number became a marker of long tenure, and the code has been used as shorthand for the borough in music and branding since — most visibly in Azealia Banks's 2011 single.
DocumentedCultureGeography: New York City, United StatesPeriod: 1947 onwards
Science
212°F is the boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure, exactly equivalent to 100°C — one of the two fixed reference points, along with 32°F, that define the Fahrenheit temperature scale.
DocumentedScience
Geography
+212 reaches Morocco, opening the 21x North African range that continues with Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The code also covers Western Sahara, whose status is disputed, which the numbering plan does not attempt to reflect.
DocumentedGeographyGeography: Morocco
Mathematics
The interval between water's Fahrenheit freezing point (32°F) and boiling point (212°F) is exactly 180 degrees — the same number of degrees in a straight angle.
DocumentedMathematics
Common questions
Why does water boil at 212 °F?
Fahrenheit did not pick the number — it fell where it fell. He set zero at the coldest temperature he could reliably reproduce with a brine mixture and his upper reference near body temperature, and water's boiling point landed at 212 on that scale. Later standardisation reversed the logic and redefined the scale on water, which is why the gap between freezing and boiling is exactly 180 degrees.
Is 212 a prime number?
No, 212 is not prime.
What are the factors of 212?
The factors of 212 are 1, 2, 4, 53, 106, 212.
What is 212 in Roman numerals?
212 in Roman numerals is CCXII.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 5 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026