We recently explored the fascinating world of large numbers, including millions, billions, and trillions. But the numerical universe doesn’t stop there! This leads us to an intriguing question: what comes after a trillion? Are there even larger numbers, and if so, what are they called? If you’ve ever pondered this, you’re in the right place.
This article will delve into the realm of numbers that dwarf even a trillion. We’ll uncover the names of these colossal figures, understand their magnitude, and provide easy ways to remember them. By the end of this exploration, you’ll not only know what comes after a trillion but also have a solid understanding of the incredible scale of numbers beyond. Let’s begin our journey to answer the question, what comes after a trillion, by first revisiting the definition of a trillion itself.
What Exactly is a Trillion?
To understand what comes after a trillion, it’s essential to have a firm grasp of what a trillion is. Let’s refresh our memory with a clear definition.
In its simplest form, a trillion is represented as 1,000,000,000,000. This is a “1” followed by twelve zeros. Mathematically, it’s expressed as 1012. Think of it as four groups of three zeros after the initial “1”. To put it in perspective, let’s consider how many billions make up a trillion.
Billions in a Trillion: Putting Trillion into Perspective
Understanding the relationship between billions and trillions is crucial as we explore what comes after a trillion. Let’s break it down:
- As we defined, a trillion is 1,000,000,000,000 in the international number system, with 12 zeros.
- A billion, on the other hand, is 1,000,000,000, with 9 zeros.
- To reach a trillion, you would need to multiply a billion by one thousand:
One thousand × One Billion = One Trillion
1,000 × 1,000,000,000 = 1,000,000,000,000
Therefore, one trillion is equal to one thousand billions.
One trillion = One thousand billion
Quick Recap: Billions to Trillion
To quickly remember, there are 1,000 billions in a trillion.
1,000,000,000 × 1,000 = 1,000,000,000,000
Now that we have solidified our understanding of a trillion, let’s move on to answering the core question: what comes after a trillion? Don’t let all those zeros intimidate you! Remember the simple trick: billions have nine zeros (three groups of three), and trillions have twelve zeros (four groups of three).
Crores in a Trillion: Bridging Number Systems
For those familiar with the Indian number system, it’s helpful to understand how a trillion relates to crores. This is another step in appreciating the magnitude of what comes after a trillion.
Let’s break down the conversion step-by-step:
- A trillion is 1,000,000,000,000 in the international system, with 12 zeros.
- We want to convert this to the Indian number system.
- In the Indian system, 1 crore is 1,00,00,000, having seven zeros after the “1”.
- To find out how many crores are in a trillion, we divide a trillion by a crore:
1,000,000,000,000 / 1,00,00,000 = 100,000
This calculation reveals that there are 100,000 crores in one trillion.
One trillion = One lakh crore (or one hundred thousand crore)
How Immense Are Numbers Beyond a Trillion?
Imagine winning a massive lottery – say, a million dollars. Managing such a sum is already a significant undertaking. Now, picture winning a trillion dollars! The scale is almost incomprehensible. To illustrate just how large a trillion is, consider this: if you were to count one trillion dollars, at a rate of one dollar per second, it would take you approximately 31,710 years! This gives you a glimpse into the sheer magnitude of a trillion, and the numbers that come after – what comes after a trillion – are even more colossal.
Let’s take another example. If a government spends three billion dollars daily, how long would it take to spend a trillion dollars? It would take over a year! These examples help visualize the immense size of a trillion and hint at the even larger numbers that await us as we explore what comes after a trillion.
Unveiling What Comes After Trillion: The List of Large Numbers
You may have heard terms like “zillion,” “gazillion,” or “prillion” used to describe incredibly large, undefined quantities. While these words are often used informally, there are actually precise names for numbers that follow a trillion. So, what comes after a trillion in the world of defined large numbers?
After trillion comes quadrillion, and then a progression of even larger numbers, including quintillion, sextillion, septillion, octillion, nonillion, and decillion, and many more! Let’s explore this hierarchy of large numbers and their mathematical representations:
- One million = 1×106
- One billion = 1×109
- One trillion = 1×1012
- One quadrillion = 1×1015
- One quintillion = 1×1018
- One sextillion = 1×1021
- One septillion = 1×1024
- One octillion = 1×1027
- One nonillion = 1×1030
- One decillion = 1×1033
- One undecillion = 1×1036
- One duodecillion = 1×1039
- One tredecillion = 1×1042
- One quattuordecillion = 1×1045
- One quindecillion = 1×1048
- One sexdecillion = 1×1051
- One septemdecillion = 1×1054
- One octodecillion = 1×1057
- One novemdecillion = 1×1060
- One vigintillion = 1×1063
- One unvigintillion (or vigintunillion) = 1×1066
- One duovigintillion (or vigintiduoillion) = 1×1069
- One trevigintillion (or vigintitrillion) = 1×1072
- One quattuorvigintillion (or vigintiquadrillion) = 1×1075
- One quinvigintillion (or vigintiquintrillion) = 1×1078
- One sexvigintillion (or vigintisextillion) = 1×1081
- One septvigintillion (or vigintiseptillion) = 1×1084
- One octovigintillion (or vigintoctillion) = 1×1087
- One nonvigintillion (or vigintinonillion) = 1×1090
- One trigintillion = 1×1093
- One untrigintillion = 1×1096
- One duotrigintillion = 1×1099
- Ten-duotrigintillion = googol = 1×10100
- …
- Skewes’ number = 1×10130
- …
- Centillion = 1×10303
- …
- Googolplex = 1x(1010)100
- …
- Skewes’ Number: ((1010)10)34
Understanding the Pattern in Large Numbers
This extensive list might seem overwhelming, but there’s a simple pattern to help you remember what comes after a trillion and beyond. Notice that with each new number name, the power of 10 increases by three. Essentially, you add three more zeros to get to the next number in the sequence.
Let’s illustrate this pattern:
- Billion: 1,000,000,000 (9 zeros)
- Trillion: 1,000,000,000,000 (12 zeros)
As you can see, we simply added three zeros to a billion to get a trillion. This pattern continues as we ascend the ladder of large numbers, making it easier to grasp what comes after a trillion.
Fun Fact: The search engine Google is actually named after “googol,” highlighting the concept of vast amounts of information.
It’s worth noting that while we have names for incredibly large numbers like googol, Skewes’ number, centillion, and googolplex, there aren’t commonly used names for every number in between these monumental figures.
Key Points to Remember About Large Numbers
When exploring what comes after a trillion and the realm of large numbers, keep these points in mind:
- Names aren’t assigned to every single number between extremely large designated numbers like googol and googolplex.
- There isn’t a globally standardized system for naming very large numbers beyond a certain point.
- Googol was once considered one of the largest named numbers, but mathematicians have since defined even larger numbers like Skewes’ number, which has been used in mathematical proofs.
- Centillion, following the American convention, represents 100 groups of three zeros beyond a thousand, signifying its immense scale.
Hopefully, this clarifies what comes after a trillion and provides context for understanding the names and magnitudes of these large numbers. And if you’re wondering why “zillion” isn’t on our list, it’s because “zillion” is not a formally defined number. It’s an informal term for an extremely large, unspecified quantity.
Quadrillion: The Immediate Successor to Trillion
If you need a direct answer to what comes after a trillion, the immediate next number is a quadrillion. It follows trillion in the sequence of named large numbers.
- A quadrillion is defined as 1 followed by 15 zeros.
- In numerical form, it’s written as 1,000,000,000,000,000.
- You can visualize it as five groups of three zeros after the “1”.
- Mathematically, it’s represented as 1×1015.
One quadrillion = 1×1015 = 1,000,000,000,000,000
Why Bother Knowing Numbers After a Trillion?
You might wonder, “Why is it important to know what comes after a trillion?” Historically, the need for names beyond millions was limited until around World War I. Numbers could be expressed using powers of ten without needing specific names.
Interestingly, the definition of “billion” itself varies. In the American system, a billion is 1,000,000,000 (109), while in the traditional British system (though less common now), it was 1,000,000,000,000 (1012) – which is what we call a trillion today in the American system.
However, using names for larger numbers can be more convenient than constantly writing out long strings of zeros or dealing with exponents. It helps in communication and conceptualization, especially when discussing vast quantities in fields like economics, astronomy, or advanced mathematics. Understanding what comes after a trillion expands our numerical literacy and allows us to grasp truly astronomical scales.
Understanding the Sheer Scale of Large Numbers
We’ve explored many large numbers beyond a trillion, aiming to answer what comes after a trillion. We’ve provided lists and mathematical notations to aid in memorization. Now, let’s focus on truly understanding the scale of these numbers. It’s one thing to recite names and scientific notations, but quite another to grasp their actual magnitude.
Conceptualizing such large numbers is challenging, but we can use analogies and comparisons to gain a better sense of their size. Even a trillion, while seemingly abstract, is still an incredibly large number. As we mentioned earlier, counting to a trillion would take over 30,000 years!
Googol: A Landmark in Large Numbers After Trillion
Moving further into the realm of large numbers, we encounter “googol.” A googol is a 1 followed by one hundred zeros. Writing it out fully would be an incredibly lengthy task:
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.
As we saw in our list, a googol is also called ten-duotrigintillionth and is represented mathematically as 1 x 10100. Writing out large numbers, even partially, can provide a more concrete sense of their immense size compared to their concise scientific notation.
Googolplex: Beyond Googol in the Quest After Trillion
Even larger than a googol is a googolplex. A googolplex is a 1 followed by a googol zeros. The definition itself hints at its incomprehensible size. Mathematically, it’s represented as 1x(1010)100.
A googolplex is so astronomically large that it has virtually no practical use in mathematics or the real world. Some scientists speculate that a googolplex might even be larger than the total number of atoms in the observable universe! Trying to write out a googolplex is physically impossible; even if you could write a zero on every atom in the universe, you still wouldn’t have enough space to write out all the zeros in a googolplex.
Skewes’ Number: Entering Abstractly Large Numbers
Are there numbers even larger than a googolplex? Yes! Skewes’ number is one such number, dwarfing even a googolplex. Developed by mathematician Stanley Skewes, Skewes’ number is defined as 10 to the power of 10 to the power of 34 (101034), or 1 x 101034. In its simpler form for comparison in our list, it’s approximately 1 x 10130.
Skewes’ number was introduced in 1933 in the context of prime numbers and was, at the time, considered one of the largest numbers ever used in a mathematical proof. While it has since been surpassed by even larger numbers in mathematical contexts, it represents a significant step into the realm of abstractly large numbers beyond our everyday comprehension.
Graham’s Number: The Current Champion of Large Numbers
While Skewes’ number was once considered incredibly large, it has been eclipsed by Graham’s number. Currently considered the largest number with a specific name and used in mathematical research (though primarily in combinatorics), Graham’s number is so immense that it cannot be written down using standard scientific notation.
Graham’s number, named after mathematician R.L. Graham, is far beyond visualization. It’s said that if you were to convert all the matter in the universe into pens and ink, you still wouldn’t have enough resources to write out Graham’s number. Its sheer size defies human comprehension, highlighting the truly limitless nature of numbers.
In Summary: What Number Follows a Trillion?
So, what is the number that comes after a trillion? As we’ve explored, the immediate answer is quadrillion. A quadrillion is 1 followed by 15 zeros (1015). However, the journey doesn’t stop there. Beyond quadrillion lie quintillions, sextillions, septillions, octillions, and a vast hierarchy of ever-larger named numbers, extending to googol, googolplex, Skewes’ number, and even Graham’s number.
Understanding these large number names is valuable, especially when dealing with massive quantities in various fields or pursuing advanced mathematical studies. While Graham’s number currently holds the title of the “largest known number” in a certain context, the concept of “largest number” is constantly evolving with mathematical discovery. The realm of numbers is truly infinite and continues to fascinate and challenge our understanding of scale and magnitude.
Turito: Making Number Learning Engaging
At Turito, we believe learning about numbers, even incredibly large ones, should be engaging and fun, especially for young learners. Making learning enjoyable is key to long-term retention and fostering a love for knowledge. Previously, we explored how many millions are in a billion, touching upon trillions. In this article, we’ve tackled the question: what comes after a trillion? We’ve covered the names, mathematical representations, and even tricks to help you remember these colossal numbers. We hope this exploration has been both informative and engaging, sparking your curiosity about the endless world of mathematics!
