What Comes After a Trillion? A Guide to Large Numbers and Their Names
Have you ever wondered what comes after a trillion? How big is a quadrillion, a quintillion, or a googol? How do you even pronounce these numbers, let alone write them down?
After a trillion comes a quadrillion, which is one thousand trillion or 1,000,000,000,000,000. It represents a significant increase in numerical value, as each step in this sequence involves multiplying the previous number by a thousand. So, a quadrillion is a trillion times larger than a trillion.
If you are curious about large numbers and their names, this article is for you. In this article, we will explain:
- The difference between the short scale and the long scale of naming large numbers
- The names and values of some common large numbers in both scales
- How to write and read large numbers using scientific notation
- Some fun facts and trivia about large numbers and their uses
What Is Trillion?
A trillion is a numerical value equal to 1,000,000,000,000, or one followed by 12 zeros. It is a very large number and is often used in contexts where exceptionally large quantities or sums need to be expressed.
In some regions, such as the United States, a trillion is traditionally defined as one million million, which is the same as the definition I provided above.
To give you an idea of the scale of a trillion:
1 trillion seconds is approximately 31,688 years.
If you were to count from 1 to 1 trillion at a rate of one number per second, it would take you over 31,688 years to finish.
Trillions are commonly used in discussions of national debt, the market capitalization of large companies, and other situations involving massive quantities or sums.
What Comes After a Trillion?
After a trillion, the next numerical value is a quadrillion. Here’s a list of some large numerical values in increasing order:
- Billion (1,000,000,000)
- Trillion (1,000,000,000,000)
- Quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000)
- Quintillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Sextillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Septillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Octillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Nonillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Decillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
- Undecillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
Each term represents a power of a thousand greater than the previous one. So, a quadrillion is a thousand times larger than a trillion, a quintillion is a thousand times larger than a quadrillion, and so on. These large numbers are often used in scientific notation, economics, and other fields when dealing with extremely large quantities.
What is Googol?
GOOGOL is defined as the number 1 followed by 100 zeros, or 10100
1 googol = 1.0 × 10100
Short Scale vs Long Scale
Before we dive into the names of large numbers, we need to understand that there are two main systems of naming them: the short scale and the long scale.
The short scale is the system used in most English-speaking countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
In the short scale, every new term greater than a million is one thousand times larger than the previous term. For example, a billion is one thousand times larger than a million, a trillion is one thousand times larger than a billion, and so on.
The long scale is the system used in most continental European countries, such as France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. In the long scale, every new term greater than a million is one million times larger than the previous term. For example, a billion is one million times larger than a million, a trillion is one million times larger than a billion, and so on.
The table below shows some of the names and values of large numbers in both scales:
Name | Short Scale | Long Scale |
Million | 10^6 | 10^6 |
Billion | 10^9 | 10^12 |
Trillion | 10^12 | 10^18 |
Quadrillion | 10^15 | 10^24 |
Quintillion | 10^18 | 10^30 |
Sextillion | 10^21 | 10^36 |
Septillion | 10^24 | 10^42 |
Octillion | 10^27 | 10^48 |
Nonillion | 10^30 | 10^54 |
Decillion | 10^33 | 10^60 |
As you can see, the difference between the two scales becomes significant as the numbers get larger. For example, a trillion in the short scale is equal to a billion in the long scale, while a quadrillion in the short scale is equal to a thousand billion in the long scale.
To avoid confusion, it is important to specify which scale you are using when talking or writing about large numbers. You can also use scientific notation to express large numbers in a standard way.
Scientific Notation
Scientific notation is a way of writing very large or very small numbers using powers of ten. It has the form:
a × 10^n
where a is a number between 1 and 10 (called the coefficient), and n is an integer (called the exponent).
For example, the number 1234567890 can be written in scientific notation as:
1.23456789 × 10^9
The advantage of scientific notation is that it makes it easier to compare and manipulate large numbers without having to write many zeros or decimals. For example, to multiply two large numbers in scientific notation, you just need to multiply their coefficients and add their exponents. To divide them, you just need to divide their coefficients and subtract their exponents.
For example:
(3 × 10^6) × (2 × 10^4) = (3 × 2) × (10^(6+4)) = 6 × 10^10
(8 × 10^9) / (4 × 10^3) = (8 / 4) × (10^(9-3)) = 2 × 10^6
To convert a number from scientific notation to standard notation, you just need to move the decimal point of the coefficient by the number of places indicated by the exponent. If the exponent is positive, you move it to the right. If the exponent is negative, you move it to the left.
For example:
1.23456789 × 10^9 = 1234567890
5.6789 × 10^-5 = 0.000056789
To convert a number from standard notation to scientific notation, you just need to find the first non-zero digit of the number and make it the coefficient. Then count how many places you moved the decimal point to get that digit and make that number the exponent. If you moved it to the left, the exponent is positive. If you moved it to the right, the exponent is negative.
For example:
1234567890 = 1.23456789 × 10^9
0.000056789 = 5.6789 × 10^-5
Using scientific notation, you can write any large number in a concise and consistent way, regardless of which scale you are using.
Fun Facts and Trivia
Now that you know how to name and write large numbers, here are some fun facts and trivia about them:
- The largest number that has a commonly known specific name is a googolplex, which is equal to 10^googol, where googol is equal to 10^100. That means a googolplex has one followed by a googol zeros. It is impossible to write down a googolplex in standard notation, as there are not enough atoms in the observable universe to write down all the zeros.
- The largest number that has ever been used in a serious mathematical proof is Graham’s number, which is so large that even its scientific notation would take up more space than the observable universe. It is named after Ronald Graham, who used it as an upper bound for a problem in Ramsey theory.
- The largest number that has ever been counted to by a human is 31,811, which was achieved by Jeremy Harper in 2007. He spent almost 90 days counting out loud from one to 31,811 for an average of 16 hours per day. He livestreamed his attempt and raised money for charity.
- The largest number that has ever been calculated by a computer is 2^82589933-1, which is a prime number with 24,862,048 digits. It was discovered by Patrick Laroche in 2018 using the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS) project. It is the current record holder for the largest known prime number.
- The largest number that is commonly used in everyday life is a quadrillion, which is equal to 10^15 in the short scale and 10^24 in the long scale. For example, the global GDP in 2019 was about 87.8 trillion US dollars, which is about 0.0878 quadrillion US dollars in the short scale or 0.0000878 quadrillion US dollars in the long scale.
What Comes After A Quadrillion?
Following trillion is quadrillion, which is a 1 followed by 15 zeros and equals 1,000,000,000,000,000.
After a quadrillion, which is equal to 1,000,000,000,000,000 (10^15), the next numerical order is a quintillion, representing 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 (10^18).
This pattern continues with sextillion (10^21), septillion (10^24), octillion (10^27), and so on, each increasing by a factor of 1,000 for every three zeros added to the exponent. These extremely large numbers are often used in scientific, mathematical, and astronomical contexts to quantify vast quantities, distances, or values.
What Comes After Decillion
After decillion, which is equal to 10^33, the next numerical order is undecillion, representing 10^36. This pattern of adding the Latin prefix “un-” for one followed by the “-decillion” suffix, signifying ten, continues with duodecillion (10^39), tredecillion (10^42), quattuordecillion (10^45), and so forth, with each step increasing by a factor of 1,000 for every three zeros added to the exponent.
These incredibly large numbers are primarily used in scientific and mathematical contexts when dealing with astronomical quantities, immense measurements, or theoretical calculations requiring precision beyond everyday usage.
What Comes After A Trillion Thousand
Quadrillion
After a trillion, there is a number called a quadrillion, and then there are further numbers. The sum of these figures is a quintillion, a sextillion, a septillion, an octillion, a nonillion, and a decillion.
What Comes After Zillion
The term “zillion” is not an official mathematical or scientific term and is used colloquially to denote an extremely large, unspecified number, often to exaggerate or emphasize the vastness of something.
What Comes After A Trillion For Kids?
After a trillion, for kids, the next number is called a “quadrillion.” It’s a really, really big number! Imagine having a trillion toys, and then you have a thousand times more when you reach a quadrillion.
So, after a trillion, there are the following numbers: quadrillion, quintillion, sextillion, septillion, octillion, nonillion, and decillion.
To help you understand, if you were to count from one to a trillion, it would take a long time, but counting from one to a quadrillion would take even longer because it’s a million times more! Numbers like these are used in math and science to describe really huge things, like the number of grains of sand on a big beach or the stars in the universe.
What Comes After Googolplex?
A googolplex is already an unimaginably large number, represented as 10^(10^100). A googolplex is enormous, but Graham’s and Skewes’ numbers are far bigger. Both numbers, named after the mathematicians Stanley Skewes and Ronald Graham, are so enormous that they cannot be represented in the observable universe.
What Comes After Billion?
After a billion, which is 1,000,000,000 (or 10^9), comes a trillion. A trillion is a thousand times larger than a billion and is equal to 1,000,000,000,000 (or 10^12).
We call 1,000,000 a million, 1,000,000,000 a billion, 1,000,000,000,000 a trillion, 1,000,000,000,000,000 a quadrillion, 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 a quintillion, and 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 a sextillion.
This pattern continues with quadrillion (10^15), quintillion (10^18), sextillion (10^21), and so on, with each step representing an increase by a factor of a thousand. These large numbers are commonly used in finance, economics, and discussions of government budgets when dealing with extremely large sums of money or quantities.
What Comes After Tredecillion?
After tredecillion, which is equal to 10^42, the next numerical order is quattuordecillion, representing 10^45. This naming pattern follows the Latin prefixes for numbers, where “tre-” denotes three, and “quattuor-” signifies four, and the “-decillion” suffix indicates a factor of ten to the 3rd power.
This pattern continues with quintodecillion (10^48), sexdecillion (10^51), and so on, with each step increasing by a factor of 1,000 for every three zeros added to the exponent. These extremely large numbers are rarely used in everyday language but find utility in scientific, mathematical, and astronomical contexts where immense quantities or measurements need to be expressed with precision.
What comes after vigintillion?
following the vigintillion one can have a trigintillion, quadragintillion, quinquagintillion, sexagintillion, septuagintillion, octogintillion.
After vigintillion, which is 10^63, the next numerical order is centillion, representing 10^303. The naming pattern typically involves adding the Latin prefix “centi-” meaning one hundred to the “-illion” suffix, signifying a factor of ten to the 3rd power.
What Number Comes After Trillion In Money
Quadrillion
Obviously, billion is followed by trillion and then Quadrillion. In terms of money and financial systems, the number that comes after a trillion is typically a quadrillion. Here’s the progression:
- Thousand (10^3)
- Million (10^6)
- Billion (10^9)
- Trillion (10^12)
- Quadrillion (10^15)
This sequence continues with quintillion (10^18), sextillion (10^21), and so on, each increasing by a factor of a thousand for every step. These large numbers are used when dealing with very significant sums of money, often in international finance or discussions about national budgets and economic indicators.
What number comes after trillionaire and so on?
Quadrillion is the number after a trillion, followed by quintillion, sextillion, septillion, octillion, nonillion, and decillion. According to tradition, quadrillionaire is the status above trillionaire.
Numbers | Extreme Wealth | Name |
1012 | Trillion | Trillionaire |
1015 | Quadrillion | Quadrillionaire |
1018 | Quintillion | Quintillionaire |
1021 | Sextillion | Sextillionaire |
- Billionaire: Someone with a net worth in the billions.
- Trillionaire: Someone with a net worth in the trillions.
- Quadrillionaire: Someone with a net worth in the quadrillions.
- Quintillionaire: Someone with a net worth in the quintillions.
- Sextillionaire: Someone with a net worth in the sextillions.
- Septillionaire: Someone with a net worth in the septillions.
- Octillionaire: Someone with a net worth in the octillions.
- Nonillionaire: Someone with a net worth in the nonillions.
- Decillionaire: Someone with a net worth in the decillions
is zillion a real number? Is a zillion real number?
No, “zillion” is not a real or mathematically recognized number. It’s an informal, colloquial term used to represent an extremely large, unspecified number, often for emphasis or exaggeration.
In mathematics, numbers are systematically defined using established prefixes like million, billion, trillion, and so on, which are based on powers of ten. “Zillion” is not part of this formal numerical naming system and should not be used for precise mathematical or scientific discussions.
Conclusion
In this article, we have learned:
- The difference between the short scale and the long scale of naming large numbers
- The names and values of some common large numbers in both scales
- How to write and read large numbers using scientific notation
- Some fun facts and trivia about large numbers and their uses
We hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new about large numbers and their names. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.
What is the largest named number?
googolplex
A “googolplex,” which is the number 1 followed by a gogol zeroes, is the largest number with a name. According to legend, mathematician Edward Kasner requested his nephew, who is nine years old, to name an extremely large number.
Which number is smallest?
The smallest whole number is 0 (zero). The smallest natural number is 1 (one). The smallest non-negative real number and non-negative rational number are both zero.
Name | Number |
Million | 1 x 10 6 |
Billion | 1 x 10 9 |
Trillion | 1 x 10 12 |
Quadrillion | 1 x 10 15 |
Quintillion | 1 x 10 18 |
Sextillion | 1 x 10 21 |
Septillion | 1 x 10 24 |
Octillion | 1 x 10 27 |
Nonillion | 1 x 10 30 |
Decillion | 1 x 10 33 |
Undecillion | 1 x 10 36 |
Duodecillion | 1 x 10 39 |
Tredecillion | 1 x 10 42 |
Quattuordecillion | 1 x 10 45 |
Quindecillion | 1 x 10 48 |
Sexdecillion | 1 x 10 51 |
Septendecillion | 1 x 10 54 |
Octodecillion | 1 x 10 57 |
Novemdecillion | 1 x 10 60 |
Vigintillion | 1 x 10 63 |
Unvigintillion | 1 x 10 66 |
Duovigintillion | 1 x 10 69 |
Trevigintillion | 1 x 10 72 |
Quattuorvigintillion | 1 x 10 75 |
Quinvigintillion | 1 x 10 78 |
Sexvigintillion | 1 x 10 81 |
Septenvigintillion | 1 x 10 84 |
Octovigintillion | 1 x 10 87 |
Nonvigintillion | 1 x 10 90 |
Trigintillion | 1 x 10 93 |
Untrigintillion | 1 x 10 96 |
Duotrigintillion | 1 x 10 99 |
Ten-duotrigintillion (or Googol) | 1 x 10 100 |
Skewer’s Number | 1 x 10 130 |
Centillion | 1 x 10 303 |
Googolplex | 1 x 10 10100 |
Skewes’ Number |
FAQs On What Comes After a Trillion
Here are frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help you understand large numbers beyond a trillion:
What is the next numerical term after a trillion?
After a trillion, the next numerical term is quadrillion.
How do you write a quadrillion numerically?
A quadrillion is written as 1,000,000,000,000, or 10^15 in scientific notation.
What are some real-world examples of quantities in the quadrillions?
National debt, global GDP, and the number of grains of sand on Earth’s beaches are often measured in quadrillions.
Are there larger numerical terms beyond a quadrillion?
Yes, the next term is quintillion, followed by sextillion, septillion, and so on.
Can you provide an example of a quintillion in scientific notation?
A quintillion is written as 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 or 10^18.
What are some astronomical figures that involve quintillions?
The estimated number of stars in the observable universe is thought to be in the quintillions.
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Are these large numbers used in everyday life?
No, numbers beyond a trillion are typically used in scientific, economic, and astronomical contexts.
How are these numbers used in computing and technology?
In computing, large numbers like quintillions are used to represent data storage capacities, computational speeds, and network data transfer rates.
Are there specific names for numbers beyond quintillion?
Yes, the pattern continues with sextillion (10^21), septillion (10^24), octillion (10^27), and so on, each increasing by a factor of 1,000.
Is there a limit to how large numbers can get?
In theory, numbers can continue to grow infinitely, but in practical terms, numbers like googol (10^100) and googolplex (10 to the power of a googol) are so astronomically large that they surpass the capabilities of current mathematics and the observable universe.
Is 0 a digit or a number?
Zero (0) is a digit. The numeral 0 (zero) is used to indicate the number zero in numeral form. Zero has no meaning as a number; it is the absence of all other values. As the identity element of integers, real numbers, and numerous other algebraic structures, it is crucial to mathematics.
Understanding these numerical terms beyond a trillion can be useful when dealing with vast quantities, especially in fields such as science, economics, and technology.