Names of large numbers

Naming very large numbers is relatively easy. There are two main ways of naming a number: scientific notation and naming by grouping. For example, the number 500,000,000,000,000,000,000 can be called 5 x 1020 in scientific notation since there are 20 zeros behind the 5. If the number is named by grouping, it is five hundred quintillion (American) or 500 trillion (European).

When large numbers have many different decimals in them, such as 642 500 000 000, naming them with scientific notation is about the same, but with one difference. Still counting the number of numbers after the first number (in this case, after the 6 there are 11 numbers) you need to include the ones that are not zero in the formula, but after a decimal point. So 642 500 000 000 will be 6.425 x 1011. When naming by grouping, each group is the name of the group. With the same number, it would be said to be 642 billion, 500 million (US) or 642 milliard, 500 million (Eur).

Some examples
NumberScientific notationGrouping
600 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 0006 x 1026600 septillion (quadrillion)
765 476 250 000 0007.6547625 x 1014765 trillion, 476 billion, 250 million
145 0001.45 x 105145 thousand

Forms of numbering

The American way or "Short form" for naming large numbers is different from the European way or "Long form" of naming large numbers. This is mainly because of American finance. Short form numbering is based on thousands and Long form is based on millions. Because of this, in Short form a billion is one thousand millions (109) while in Long form it is one million millions (1012). The change in the United Kingdom to Short form numbering happened in 1974. Today, Short form is most commonly used in most English speaking countries.

Names for large numbers
Scientific
notation		American name

(Short Form)

Old European name

(Long Form)

 Old-British name SI Symbol Metric prefix
1 One One One
10Ten Ten Ten da Deca-
100Hundred Hundred Hundred h Hecto-
1000Thousand Thousand Thousand k Kilo-
10000Ten thousand Ten thousand Ten thousand my (Now obsolete) Myria- (Now obsolete)
100000Hundred thousand Hundred thousand Hundred thousand
1000000Million Million Million M Mega-
1000000000Billion Milliard Thousand million G Giga-
1012Trillion Billion Billion T Tera-
1015Quadrillion Billiard Thousand billion P Peta-
1018Quintillion Trillion Trillion E Exa-
1021Sextillion Trilliard Thousand trillion Z Zetta-
1024Septillion Quadrillion Quadrillion Y Yotta-
1027Octillion Quadrilliard Thousand quadrillion R Ronna-
1030Nonillion Quintilion Quintillion Q Quetta-
1033Decillion Quintilliard Thousand quintillion
1036Undecillion Sextillion Sextillion
1039Duodecillion Sextilliard Thousand sextillion
1042Tredecillion Septillion Septillion
1045Quattuordecillion Septilliard Thousand septillion
1048Quindecillion Octillion Octillion
1051Sexdecillion Octilliard Thousand octillion
1054Septendecillion Nonillion Nonillion
1057Octodecillion Nonilliard Thousand nonillion
1060Novemdecillion Decillion Decillion
1063Vigintillion Decilliard Thousand decillion
1066Unvigintillion Undecillion Undecillion
1069Duovigintillion Undecilliard Thousand undecillion
1072Trevigintillion Duodecillion Duodecillion
1075Quattuorvigintillion Duodecilliard Thousand duodecillion
1078Quinvigintillion Tredecillion Tredecillion
1081Sexvigintillion Tredecilliard Thousand tredecillion
1084Septenvigintillion Quattuordecillion Quattuordecillion
1087Octovigintillion Quattuordecilliard Thousand quattuordecillion
1090Novemvigintillion Quindecillion Quindecillion
1093Trigintillion Quindecilliard Thousand quindecillion
1096Untrigintillion Sexdecillion Sexdecillion
1099Duotrigintillion Sexdecilliard Thousand sexdecillion
10100Googol Googol Googol
10102 Trestrigintillion Septendecillion Septendecillion
10105 Quarttourtrigintillion Septendecilliard Thousand septedecillion
10108 Quinquatrigintillion Octodecillion Octodecillion
10111 Sestrigintillion Octodecilliard Thousand octodecillion
10114 Septemtrigintillion Novemdecillion Novemdecillion
10117 Octotrigintillion Novemdecilliard Thousand novemdecillion
10120 Novemtrigintillion Vigintillion Vigintillion
10123 Quadragintillion Quinquagintilliard .
10153 Unquadragintillion
10303 Duoquadragintillion Quinquagintilliard
10^3003 Tresquadragintillion
10^3000003 Quattuorquadragintillion
10^10^9 Quinquaquadragintillion
10^10^12 Sesquadragintillion
10^10^33 Septemquadragintillion
10^10^100 Octoquadragintillion
10^10^303 Novemquadragintillion
10^10^3003 Quinquagintillion
10101034 Unquinquagintillion
10^10^10^100 Duoquinquagintillion
10^10^10^303 Tresquinquagintillion
inf Quattuorquinquagintillion

There is also the number googol, which is a 1 with 100 zeros behind it (10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000), and the number googolplex, which is a 1 with a googol of zeros behind it, (1010,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) (1010100). And also the number googolplexian, 1 with a googolplex number of zeros behind it. Googolplexianplex, or googolplexianplexian are still theoretical numbers, but they might have some use in real life.

The name centillion was devised in the 19th century for the 100th "illion", being 10303 in short form and 10600 in long form.

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