Just how big is a billion dollars? Well, to answer that question you must understand exactly what is meant by one billion. The answer is not as clear cut as you might expect.
Of course, most everyone knows that one million is a number with six zeros (1,000,000) and is one thousand thousand. However, although the number one million is the same magnitude (size) around the world, the number one billion is not the same in the United States as it is in the United Kingdom.
In fact, the US billion is much SMALLER than the UK billion! In the US, one billion is one thousand million (i.e., it has 9 zeros and equals 1,000,000,000 or
Now that I've defined a billion, it might be useful to try to describe it in terms we should all be able to understand: money--or something as useful as it, credit cards (because very few people can even dream of owning a billion dollars)...
To complicate matters even further, one trillion is not the same on opposite sides of the pond either! As with the term billion, the UK trillion is inflated by a factor of one thousand over the the US trillion.
The US trillion is one thousand thousand million (i.e., it has 12 zeros and equals 1,000,000,000,000 or
Okay, enough with confusing alternate definitions; leaving European lingo to Europeans, the following deals with US definitions, only. But first, let's jump back a few hundred years before an Italian sailor discovered the world is shaped like a cannon ball by getting lost sailing for India. Roughly three hundred years before Spain’s Frederick and Isabella decided to help Cristoforo Colombo do his fourteen ninety-two, ocean blue thing, another Italian was thinking big. Big about what, you ask? Well, rabbits and numbers, Arabic numbers, to be precise—not the shape of the earth. What do all these things have in common?
It’s called Fibonacci's numbers--the sum of any two adjacent numbers equals the next (...or what a pre-Rennaisance mathematician came up with while pondering the question, “How fast can rabbits reproduce under ideal circumstances?”).
For a little big number perspective (pun intended, haha), one thousand, 1,000, is ten raised to the third power (103); one million, 1,000,000, is ten raised to the sixth power (106); one duodecillion is ten raised to the thirty-ninth power (1039); one googol is ten raised to the one hundredth power (a one followed by one hundred zeros or 10100),
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
but if you really want to talk big, raise ten to the power of one google to get one googolplex (ten to the power of a one followed by one hundred zeros, that is, 1010100), not to be confused with Googleplex, which is the name of a particular search engine organization’s company headquarters in Mountain View, California.
Fibonacci Numbers
H
U
N
D
D RT
U U Q Q EE
O N S S U U DN
D D D N O E E I A
E E E O C P X N D T TTT
C C C I T T T T R R B MHHHH
I I I I I I I I I I I IOOOU
L L L L L L L L L L L LUUUN
L L L L L L L L L L L LSSSD
I I I I I I I I I I I IAAARTO
O O O O O O O O O O O ONNNEEN
N N N N N N N N N N N NDDDDNE
S S S S S S S S S S S SSSSSSS
=====================================================
001 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
002 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001
003 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001
004 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000002
005 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003
006 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000005
007 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000008
008 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000013
009 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000021
010 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000034
011 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000055
012 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000089
013 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000144
014 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000233
015 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000377
016 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000610
017 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000987
018 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001597
019 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000002584
020 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000004181
021 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000006765
022 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000010946
023 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000017711
024 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000028657
025 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000046368
026 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000075025
027 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000121393
028 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000196418
029 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000317811
030 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000514229
031 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000832040
032 000000000000000000000000000000000000000001346269
033 000000000000000000000000000000000000000002178309
034 000000000000000000000000000000000000000003524578
035 000000000000000000000000000000000000000005702887
036 000000000000000000000000000000000000000009227465
037 000000000000000000000000000000000000000014930352
038 000000000000000000000000000000000000000024157817
039 000000000000000000000000000000000000000039088169
040 000000000000000000000000000000000000000063245986
041 000000000000000000000000000000000000000102334155
042 000000000000000000000000000000000000000165580141
043 000000000000000000000000000000000000000267914296
044 000000000000000000000000000000000000000433494437
045 000000000000000000000000000000000000000701408733
046 000000000000000000000000000000000000001134903170
047 000000000000000000000000000000000000001836311903
048 000000000000000000000000000000000000002971215073
049 000000000000000000000000000000000000004807526976
050 000000000000000000000000000000000000007778742049
051 000000000000000000000000000000000000012586269025
052 000000000000000000000000000000000000020365011074
053 000000000000000000000000000000000000032951280099
054 000000000000000000000000000000000000053316291173
055 000000000000000000000000000000000000086267571272
056 000000000000000000000000000000000000139583862445
057 000000000000000000000000000000000000225851433717
058 000000000000000000000000000000000000365435296162
059 000000000000000000000000000000000000591286729879
060 000000000000000000000000000000000000956722026041
061 000000000000000000000000000000000001548008755920
062 000000000000000000000000000000000002504730781961
063 000000000000000000000000000000000004052739537881
064 000000000000000000000000000000000006557470319842
065 000000000000000000000000000000000010610209857723
066 000000000000000000000000000000000017167680177565
067 000000000000000000000000000000000027777890035288
068 000000000000000000000000000000000044945570212853
069 000000000000000000000000000000000072723460248141
070 000000000000000000000000000000000117669030460994
071 000000000000000000000000000000000190392490709135
072 000000000000000000000000000000000308061521170129
073 000000000000000000000000000000000498454011879264
074 000000000000000000000000000000000806515533049393
075 000000000000000000000000000000001304969544928660
076 000000000000000000000000000000002111485077978050
077 000000000000000000000000000000003416454622906710
078 000000000000000000000000000000005527939700884760
079 000000000000000000000000000000008944394323791460
080 000000000000000000000000000000014472334024676200
081 000000000000000000000000000000023416728348467700
082 000000000000000000000000000000037889062373143900
083 000000000000000000000000000000061305790721611600
084 000000000000000000000000000000099194853094755500
085 000000000000000000000000000000160500643816367000
086 000000000000000000000000000000259695496911123000
087 000000000000000000000000000000420196140727490000
088 000000000000000000000000000000679891637638612000
089 000000000000000000000000000001100087778366100000
090 000000000000000000000000000001779979416004710000
091 000000000000000000000000000002880067194370820000
092 000000000000000000000000000004660046610375530000
093 000000000000000000000000000007540113804746350000
094 000000000000000000000000000012200160415121900000
095 000000000000000000000000000019740274219868200000
096 000000000000000000000000000031940434634990100000
097 000000000000000000000000000051680708854858300000
098 000000000000000000000000000083621143489848400000
099 000000000000000000000000000135301852344707000000
100 000000000000000000000000000218922995834555000000
101 000000000000000000000000000354224848179262000000
102 000000000000000000000000000573147844013817000000
103 000000000000000000000000000927372692193079000000
104 000000000000000000000000001500520536206900000000
105 000000000000000000000000002427893228399980000000
106 000000000000000000000000003928413764606870000000
107 000000000000000000000000006356306993006850000000
108 000000000000000000000000010284720757613700000000
109 000000000000000000000000016641027750620600000000
110 000000000000000000000000026925748508234300000000
111 000000000000000000000000043566776258854900000000
112 000000000000000000000000070492524767089100000000
113 000000000000000000000000114059301025944000000000
114 000000000000000000000000184551825793033000000000
115 000000000000000000000000298611126818977000000000
116 000000000000000000000000483162952612010000000000
117 000000000000000000000000781774079430987000000000
118 000000000000000000000001264937032043000000000000
119 000000000000000000000002046711111473990000000000
120 000000000000000000000003311648143516980000000000
121 000000000000000000000005358359254990970000000000
122 000000000000000000000008670007398507950000000000
123 000000000000000000000014028366653498900000000000
124 000000000000000000000022698374052006900000000000
125 000000000000000000000036726740705505800000000000
126 000000000000000000000059425114757512700000000000
127 000000000000000000000096151855463018400000000000
128 000000000000000000000155576970220531000000000000
129 000000000000000000000251728825683550000000000000
130 000000000000000000000407305795904081000000000000
131 000000000000000000000659034621587630000000000000
132 000000000000000000001066340417491710000000000000
133 000000000000000000001725375039079340000000000000
134 000000000000000000002791715456571050000000000000
135 000000000000000000004517090495650390000000000000
136 000000000000000000007308805952221450000000000000
137 000000000000000000011825896447871800000000000000
138 000000000000000000019134702400093300000000000000
139 000000000000000000030960598847965100000000000000
140 000000000000000000050095301248058400000000000000
141 000000000000000000081055900096023500000000000000
142 000000000000000000131151201344082000000000000000
143 000000000000000000212207101440105000000000000000
144 000000000000000000343358302784187000000000000000
145 000000000000000000555565404224293000000000000000
146 000000000000000000898923707008480000000000000000
147 000000000000000001454489111232770000000000000000
148 000000000000000002353412818241250000000000000000
149 000000000000000003807901929474030000000000000000
150 000000000000000006161314747715280000000000000000
151 000000000000000009969216677189300000000000000000
152 000000000000000016130531424904600000000000000000
153 000000000000000026099748102093900000000000000000
154 000000000000000042230279526998500000000000000000
155 000000000000000068330027629092400000000000000000
156 000000000000000110560307156091000000000000000000
157 000000000000000178890334785183000000000000000000
158 000000000000000289450641941274000000000000000000
159 000000000000000468340976726457000000000000000000
160 000000000000000757791618667731000000000000000000
161 000000000000001226132595394190000000000000000000
162 000000000000001983924214061920000000000000000000
163 000000000000003210056809456110000000000000000000
164 000000000000005193981023518030000000000000000000
165 000000000000008404037832974140000000000000000000
166 000000000000013598018856492200000000000000000000
167 000000000000022002056689466300000000000000000000
168 000000000000035600075545958500000000000000000000
169 000000000000057602132235424800000000000000000000
170 000000000000093202207781383200000000000000000000
171 000000000000150804340016808000000000000000000000
172 000000000000244006547798191000000000000000000000
173 000000000000394810887814999000000000000000000000
174 000000000000638817435613191000000000000000000000
175 000000000001033628323428190000000000000000000000
176 000000000001672445759041380000000000000000000000
177 000000000002706074082469570000000000000000000000
178 000000000004378519841510950000000000000000000000
179 000000000007084593923980520000000000000000000000
180 000000000011463113765491500000000000000000000000
181 000000000018547707689472000000000000000000000000
182 000000000030010821454963500000000000000000000000
183 000000000048558529144435400000000000000000000000
184 000000000078569350599398900000000000000000000000
185 000000000127127879743834000000000000000000000000
186 000000000205697230343233000000000000000000000000
187 000000000332825110087068000000000000000000000000
188 000000000538522340430301000000000000000000000000
189 000000000871347450517368000000000000000000000000
190 000000001409869790947670000000000000000000000000
191 000000002281217241465040000000000000000000000000
192 000000003691087032412710000000000000000000000000
193 000000005972304273877740000000000000000000000000
194 000000009663391306290450000000000000000000000000
195 000000015635695580168200000000000000000000000000
196 000000025299086886458700000000000000000000000000
197 000000040934782466626800000000000000000000000000
198 000000066233869353085500000000000000000000000000
199 000000107168651819712000000000000000000000000000
200 000000173402521172798000000000000000000000000000
201 000000280571172992510000000000000000000000000000
202 000000453973694165308000000000000000000000000000
203 000000734544867157818000000000000000000000000000
204 000001188518561323130000000000000000000000000000
205 000001923063428480940000000000000000000000000000
206 000003111581989804070000000000000000000000000000
207 000005034645418285010000000000000000000000000000
208 000008146227408089080000000000000000000000000000
209 000013180872826374100000000000000000000000000000
210 000021327100234463200000000000000000000000000000
211 000034507973060837300000000000000000000000000000
212 000055835073295300500000000000000000000000000000
213 000090343046356137700000000000000000000000000000
214 000146178119651438000000000000000000000000000000
215 000236521166007576000000000000000000000000000000
216 000382699285659014000000000000000000000000000000
217 000619220451666590000000000000000000000000000000
218 001001919737325600000000000000000000000000000000
219 001621140188992190000000000000000000000000000000
220 002623059926317800000000000000000000000000000000
221 004244200115309990000000000000000000000000000000
222 006867260041627790000000000000000000000000000000
223 011111460156937800000000000000000000000000000000
224 017978720198565600000000000000000000000000000000
225 etc....
Hopefully, the definitions and examples above help illustrate the magnitude of large numbers. Now back to the practical world: click on the following link to see how growing genetically superior black walnut trees can be an excellent investment.