Sender: Mahabir



I would like to know how you americans write the number 1 billion. Do you say "One thousand million"..can you answer by giving me examples? 1,000,000----> 1 million

1,000,000,000---->1 billion Why is it that in spanish it is different? Hi Mahabir, I responded to this question in 1997 and to a related question in 2003 using information from the Webster's Third New International Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Co., Springfield, Mass. 1967. I was unaware that in 1974 the government of the UK switched to the American system. The system described below as the British system is no longer in use in the UK. A further explanation and related links can be found in More on Millions and Billions. Penny I looked in Webster's Third New International Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Co., Springfield, Mass. 1967. and found the following table and footnotes. (I have shortened the table here.) Denominations above one million

American system Name Value in

powers

of ten Number of

zeros Number of

periods of 0's

after 1,000 billion 109 9 2 trillion 1012 12 3 quadrillion 1015 15 4 quintillion 1018 18 5 sextillion 1021 21 6 septillion 1024 24 7 octillion 1027 27 8 nonillion 1030 30 9 decillion 1033 33 10 undecillion 1036 36 11 British system Name Value in

powers

of ten Number of

zeros Powers of

1,000,000 milliard 109 9 - billion 1012 12 2 trillion 1018 18 3 quadrillion 1024 24 4 quintillion 1030 30 5 sextillion 1036 36 6 septillion 1042 42 7 octillion 1048 48 8 nonillion 1054 54 9 decillion 1060 60 10 undecillion 1066 66 11 A footnote explaining the naming system reads as follows: The names of the denominations in the American system correspond to the number of periods of zeros (groups of three zeros) that come after 1,000 (the numeral for one billion [1,000,000,000] contains two [bi-]; and the numerial for one trillion [1,000,000,000,000] contains three [tri-]. The names of the British denominations correspond to the values expressed in powers of one million (one billion=a million to the 2d power; one trillion=a million to the 3d power) Another footnote indicate that the American system of numeration for denominations above one million is the same as the French system, and the British system corresponds to the German. Here in Canada we use the American system. I am curious to know what is used in Spanish speaking countries. Cheers

Penny. Go to Math Central To return to the previous page use your browser's back button.