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That's a Big Number!


Date: 12/11/96 at 00:40:34
From: Mason
Subject: That's a Big Number!

Dr. Math,

I'm in grade 5, and I have a question:

What number is 
1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000?

Date: 12/11/96 at 11:26:20
From: Doctor Rob
Subject: Re: That's a Big Number!

Good question!

One quattuordecillion.  

Usually we write this as 10^45 or 10 to the 45th power.  The names for 
these kinds of big numbers come from the Latin words for three, four, 
five, etc.  This one corresponds to the Latin word for 14, or 
"quattuordecem," because there are 15 triples of zeroes.  I don't know 
why this system seems to be one off from what you expect.  I think it 
is just an historical accident.

-Doctor Rob,  The Math Forum
 Check out our web site!  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/

Associated Topics:
Elementary Large Numbers

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