Tag Archives: Math

The Scale of Math (Or How to Work a Vending Machine


Factslap: Zillion is not a number, but a noun. It means means very large number. Here are the real names of numbers, and the zeroes that follow them.

Here is the scale of math:

http://pulsobeat.com/¡la-lista-no-oficial-de-bandas-latinas-en-sxsw-2011/ Name (number) http://ccritz.com/ALFA_DATA Number (zeros behind that number)
Million1 x 10 6 
Billion1 x 10 9 
Trillion1 x 10 12 
Quadrillion1 x 10 15 
Quintillion1 x 10 18 
Sextillion1 x 10 21 
Septillion1 x 10 24 
Octillion1 x 10 27 
Nonillion1 x 10 30 
Decillion1 x 10 33 
Undecillion1 x 10 36 
Duodecillion1 x 10 39 
Tredecillion1 x 10 42 
Quattuordecillion1 x 10 45 
Quindecillion1 x 10 48 
Sexdecillion1 x 10 51 
Septendecillion1 x 10 54 
Octodecillion1 x 10 57 
Novemdecillion1 x 10 60 
Vigintillion1 x 10 63 
Unvigintillion1 x 10 66 
Duovigintillion1 x 10 69 
Trevigintillion1 x 10 72 
Quattuorvigintillion1 x 10 75 
Quinvigintillion1 x 10 78 
Sexvigintillion1 x 10 81 
Septenvigintillion1 x 10 84 
Octovigintillion1 x 10 87 
Nonvigintillion1 x 10 90 
Trigintillion1 x 10 93 
Untrigintillion1 x 10 96 
Duotrigintillion1 x 10 99 
Ten-duotrigintillion (or Googol)1 x 10 100 
Skewer’s Number1 x 10 130 
Centillion1 x 10 303 
Googolplex1 x 10 10 100 
Skewes’ Number1 x 10 to the 10th power with 8.85 decillion zeros (approximated to indicate largest know measure in the universe)

Why Did Six Hate Seven?

Image result for math and the universe

I was reminded that this weekend (Saturday, to be exact, 3/14) was National Pi Day. While it’s not as trippy as 4.20, 3.14 is a head spinner, too. In honor of the infinitely baffling, some math FactSlaps:

  • Ancient Babylonians did math in base 60 instead of base 10. That’s why we have 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour and 360 degrees in a circle.Image result for ancient babylonians mathematics
  • Students who chew gum have better math test scores than those who do not, a Baylor University study found.
  • 2,520 is the smallest number that can be exactly divided by all the numbers 1 to 10.
  • There are 177,147 ways to tie a tie, according to mathematicians.Image result for tie knot funny
  • In 1900, all the world’s mathematical knowledge could be written in about 80 books; today it would fill more than 100,000 books.Image result for huge stack of books
  • The Birthday Paradox says that in a group of just 23 people, there’s a 50% chance that at least two will have the same birthday.
  • 2200 years ago, Eratosthenes estimated the Earth’s circumference using math, without ever leaving Egypt. He was remarkably accurate. Christopher Columbus later studied him.Image result for Eratosthenes
  • Mathematician Paul Erdos could calculate in his head, given a person’s age, how many seconds they had lived, when he was just 4 years old.Image result for Paul Erdos
  • In middle school, 74% of girls express interest in science, technology, engineering and math, but when choosing a college major, just 0.4% of high school girls select computer science.
  • The largest prime number ever found is more than 22 million digits long.
  • The discoveries of Greek mathematicians such as Pythagoras, Euclid, and Archimedes are still used in mathematical teaching today.Image result for Pythagoras, Euclid, and Archimedes
  • Arabic numerals, like the ones we use today in English, were actually invented in India.Image result for Arabic numerals, like the ones we use today in English, were actually invented in India.