4-7-2005
LARGE NUMBERS
|
Number of zeros |
U.S. & scientific community |
Brazil
|
Portugal
|
U.K.
|
France
|
Deutschland
|
Italy
|
|
3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45 48 51 54 57 60 63
600 |
thousand million billion trillion quadrillion quintillion sextillion septillion octillion nonillion decillion undecillion duodecillion tredecillion quattuordecillion quindecillion sexdecillion septendecillion octodecillion novemdecillion vigintillion
(**) |
mil, milhar milhão bilhão trilhão quadrilhão quintilhão sextilhão setilhão octilhão nonilhão decilhão undecilhão duodecilhão tredecilhão quatordecilhão quindecilhão sexdecilhão setedecilhão octodecilhão novedecilhão vigesilhão
|
mil, milhar milhão 1000 milhões bilião 1000 biliões trilião 1000 triliões quadrilião 1000 quadriliões quintilião 1000 quintiliões sextilião 1000 sextiliões septilião 1000 septiliões octilião 1000 octiliões nonilião 1000 noniliões decilião 1000 deciliões
centilião |
thousand million 1000 million (*) billion 1000 billion trillion 1000 trillion quadrillion 1000 quadrillion quintillion 1000 quintillion sextillion 1000 sextillion septillion 1000 septillion octillion 1000 octillion nonillion 1000 nonillion decillion 1000 decillion
centillion |
mille million milliard billion billiarde trillion trilliard quadrillion quadrillarde quintillion quintilliarde sextillion sextiliarde septillion septilliarde octillion octilliarde nonillion nonilliarde decillion decilliarde
centillion |
Tausend Million Milliarde Billion Billiarde Trillion Trilliarde Quadrillion Quadrilliarde Quintillion Quintilliarde Sextillion Sextilliarde Septillion Septilliarde Oktillion Oktilliarde Nonillion Nonilliarde Dezillion Dezilliarde
centillion |
mille milione miliardo bilione biliardo trilione triliardo quadrilione quadriliardo quintilione quintiliardo sextilione sextiliardo septilione septiliardo octilione octiliardo nonilione noniliardo decilione deciliardo
centilione |
(*) The term ''milliard'' is also used but very rare in British English
(**) centumnonagintanonillion (?). American centillion is in Europe 10^303
|
Number |
Prefix |
Symbol |
|
10^3 10^6 10^9 10^12 10^15 10^18 10^21 10^24 |
quilo mega giga tera peta exa zetta yotta |
k M G T P E Z Y |
SPECIAL NUMBERS:
zillion means an arbitrary or unknown large number (French: n-millions de)
googol is 10^100 (origin of Google)
googolplex is 10^googol (10^10^10^2)
NOTE:
The term “billion” was established in the 15th century meaning "a million of a million" (1,000,0002, hence the name billion) or 1012 = 1 000 000 000 000. This system is today used in Europe and is called long scale (from the French "échelle longue").
In the late 17th century, the system of writing numbers was changed in France. Previously they were separated into groups of six, then came into use the modern grouping of three digits. As a result some people in France began to attribute to the billion the value of thousand million, instead of a million. This is known as the short scale (from “échelle courte”) and is now officially used in all English-speaking countries, Brazil, Puerto-Rico, Russia, Turkey and Greece.
In fact, the French didn’t adopt this change that was copied by the Americans.
As can be seen, the name of a large number is:
- in the European system: when the number of zeros is divisible by 6, the Latin name of the quotient of such division, plus the suffix illion.
- in the American system, the Latin name of the result of the operation (number of zeros -3)/3, plus the same suffix illion.
LINKS: