Over the ages, people have attributed many facts to numbers. Numerology, superstition, essential dates, and so many other things cling to various numbers, which in some cases gives them great significance!
Today let’s take a look at ten interesting facts about the number 10.
If you add up the first three prime numbers (2, 3, and 5), you reach the number 10. Prime numbers are special numbers in mathematics that can only be divided by themselves and the number 1.
Most counting systems around the world use the base-ten numeral system. This means that we count in blocks of ten, such as ten, twenty, thirty, and so on. Because of this, any number which has a zero in can always be divided by ten.
The prefix deca means ten. As such, a decade is ten years, and a ten-sided shape is a decagon. Another name for the Christian Ten Commandments is the Decalogue.
One of the more unique elements out there, neon, has the atomic number 10. Neon is one of the noble gasses and is complete without color or smell. Neon is most commonly found in neon signs and lights, which produce a reddish-orange glow.
The number ten is connected to the word decimate. These days “decimate” means a similar thing to destroy, but this wasn’t always the case. The word’s history goes back to Roman times, where it meant killing one in every ten people as punishment to rebellious groups within Rome’s legions or even to rebellious cities.
In the famous Christmas carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” the gift on the tenth day is “ten lords a-leaping,” as well as nine ladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. That’s a lot of gifts!
The metric system is based on the number ten, as all units are divisible by ten. A gram is one hundred micrograms, while a kilogram is a thousand grams. Similarly, a meter is one hundred centimeters, and a kilometer is a thousand meters. It just makes so much more sense than ounces, pounds, feet, yards, and miles!
The most common paper sizing system uses the A-series, which has ten sizes. Starting from A0, which is one square meter (10.76 square feet), each following size is half as big as the previous size. This makes A10 the smallest size in this system, measuring just 0.87 inches (22 mm) wide by 1.46 inches (37 mm) long, which is about the same size as a standard postage stamp.
The number 10 reoccurs many times in the Bible. For example, in Exodus 7-12, ten plagues affected Egypt. There are also, of course, the Ten Commandments.
The tenth astrological sign is Capricorn. The sign is linked to the Capricornus constellation, which is said to be in the shape of a horned goat. If you are born between December 21 and January 19, you are born under the sign of Capricorn. Typical traits of such a person include ambition, discipline, practicality, and self-control.
The number ten is a pretty impressive number.
In fact, it’s easy to see why we place such importance on the number ten, as the evidence is right in front of our eyes – our fingers and toes!
If that’s not the reason, then at least our fingers make counting very easy!
