In mathematics

• 20 is a tetrahedral number as 1, 4, 10, 20.^[3]

• 20 is the basis for vigesimal number systems.

• 20 is the third composite number to be the product of a squared prime and a prime, and also the second member of the (22)qfamily in this form.

• 20 is the smallest primitive abundant number.^[4]

• An icosahedron has 20 faces. A dodecahedron has 20 vertices.

• 20 can be written as the sum of three Fibonacci numbers uniquely, i.e. 20 = 13 + 5 + 2.

• The product of the number of divisors and the number of proper divisors of 20 is exactly 20.

• 20 is the number of moves (quarter or half turns) required to optimally solve a Rubik’s Cube in the worst case.^[5][6]

In science

• The atomic number ofcalcium.

• The third magic number in physics.

• The International Astronomical Union shower number for Coma Berenicids.

Biology

• The number of proteinogenicamino acidsthat are encoded by the standard genetic code.

• In some countries, the number 20 is used as an index in measuring visual acuity. 20/20 indicates normal vision at 20 feet, although it is commonly used to mean “perfect vision”. (Note that this applies only to countries using theImperialsystem. The metric equivalent is 6/6.) When someone is able to see only after an event how things turned out, that person is often said to have had “20/20 hindsight”.

As an indefinite number

• A ‘score’ is a group of 20 (often used in combination with a cardinal number, i.e.fourscoreto mean 80), but also often used as an indefinite number^[7](e.g. the newspaper headline “Scores of Typhoon Survivors Flown to Manila”)^[8]

In sports

• Twenty20 is a form of limited overscricketwhere each team plays only 20 overs.

• A standard dartboard is laid out as 20 sectors.

• The Kentucky Derby currently has a maximum field of 20 horses.

• Inrugby union, 20 national teams currently qualify for each edition of the Rugby World Cup.

• In chess, 20 is the number of legal moves for each player in the starting position.

Age 20

• Formerly the age of majority in Japan and in Japanese tradition.^[9]

• Age 20 is the age at which Levites in the time of King David were allowed “to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord”, the Temple in Jerusalem (see First Chronicles Chapter 23, verses 24 and 27). In the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, following the Babylonian captivity, it was Levites from the age of 20 upwards who were assigned “to oversee the work of the house of the LORD” (Ezra Chapter 3, verse 8).

In other fields

• +20 is the code for international direct dial phone calls toEgypt.

• CB slang for a place, being short for the ten-code “10–20” meaning “What is your location?”

• 20/20is a late-night newsmagazine program on ABC, which in turn is taken from the expression for perfect eyesight (20/20 vision).

• 020is the ISO 3166-1 numeric 3 digit country code forAndorra.

• The UIC Country Code for Russia identifying member countries of the International Union of Railways (UIC).

• 20 is the value of the letterJwhen computing thecheck digitin the serial number of anintermodal (shipping) container, as defined by ISO 6346.

• In Hebrew numerals, the letter Kaph (כ) represents twenty; see also gematria, the Hebrew system of numerology. Similarly the Arabic letter kāf (ك) represents twenty in the Abjad numerals.

• The number of questions in the game Twenty Questions.

See also

• List of highways numbered 20