46
A typical human cell carries 46 chromosomes, in 23 pairs — a count only settled in 1956, having been miscounted as 48 for decades. 46 is also the atomic number of palladium, the metal in nearly every petrol car's catalytic converter.
- Even
- Composite
Where 46 fits
Why 46 is special
46's most memorable property is arithmetic with a biological payoff: it's simply twice 23, the number of chromosome pairs in human DNA.
Same number, different meanings
How 46 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
46's most memorable property is arithmetic with a biological payoff: it's simply twice 23, the number of chromosome pairs in human DNA.
- Everyday life
There are 46 basic characters in each Japanese kana syllabary (Japan, modern usage). The chart is called gojūon, 'fifty sounds', from an older arrangement — the name outlived the count when several kana fell out of use.
- Science
46 is the atomic number of palladium. It appears in nearly every petrol car's catalytic converter, and it absorbs hydrogen to an unusual degree — up to hundreds of times its own volume.
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (4)
- 1, 2, 23, 46
- Prime factorisation
- 2 × 23
- Digit sum
- 10
- Digital root
- 1
Representations
- Decimal
- 46
- Scientific notation
- 4.600 × 10^1
Roman numerals
X L V I
XLVI uses the subtractive pair XL: ten before fifty — fifty minus ten.
Binary
1 0 1 1 1 0
1 × 32 + 0 × 16 + 1 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 46
Octal
5 6
5 × 8 + 6 × 1 = 46
Hexadecimal
2 e
2 × 16 + e × 1 = 46
Read as powers of two: 32 + 8 + 4 + 2 = 46.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
4 hobbles, 6 strokes
4 × 10 + 6 × 1 = 46. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
4 corner wedges + 6 vertical wedges
46 fits in a single sexagesimal place: 4 corner wedges + 6 vertical wedges.
Greek (Ionic)
mu, then stigma, marked as a numeral
mu-stigma + keraia
mu + stigma written in descending order and added — the letters carry their values wherever they stand, so this is addition, not place value.
Hebrew numerals
mem, then vav
mem-vav
mem (40) + vav (6) = 46, written in descending order.
Chinese numerals
sì shí liù
sì shí liù
四 before 十 multiplies it: 4 tens. 六 after it adds 6. The written form mirrors the arithmetic — "sì shí liù". The financial (anti-fraud) form is 肆拾陸.
Maya
2 dots (upper, twenties place) over 1 bar + 1 dot (lower, units place)
2 × 20 + 6 = 46. 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
- Deficient number
- Semiprime
Related numbers & connections
23 is a factor of 46 (23 × 2 = 46) — the number of human chromosome pairs and the resulting total chromosome count.
View 23 →Finland and Sweden share a border and a Nordic numbering block that is unusually contiguous for a plan assigned by sequence.
View 358 →Sweden's ISO numeric code and calling code.
View 752 →Everyday life
There are 46 basic characters in each Japanese kana syllabary (Japan, modern usage). The chart is called gojūon, 'fifty sounds', from an older arrangement — the name outlived the count when several kana fell out of use.
DocumentedEveryday lifeGeography: Japan, modern usage
Mathematics
46 = 2 × 23, an even semiprime — and, since a typical human somatic cell has 23 chromosome pairs, 46 is the resulting total chromosome count in a typical human cell.
DocumentedMathematics
Science
46 is the atomic number of palladium. It appears in nearly every petrol car's catalytic converter, and it absorbs hydrogen to an unusual degree — up to hundreds of times its own volume.
DocumentedScience
Common questions
Is 46 a prime number?
No, 46 is not prime.
What are the factors of 46?
The factors of 46 are 1, 2, 23, 46.
What is 46 in Roman numerals?
46 in Roman numerals is XLVI. XL is subtractive: ten before fifty — fifty minus ten. Written additively it would be XXXXVI, 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: 3 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026