At Ask.com, someone asking the question: "How much is 5,865,696,000,000," was directed to a post on my blog. I think that the person simply wanted to know how to say the amount in words, not how big the book would be if it had that many pages, or how big a pile with that many grains of sand would be. In the interests of helping out, I will answer the question here.
5,865,696,000,000, in words, is five trillion, eight-hundred-and-sixty-five billion, six-hundred-and-ninety-six million.
I thought that they taught this stuff in schools, but just in case you were absent that day, here is how it works: Each three digits, starting from the right and moving left represent hundreds, then thousands, then millions, then billions, trillions, quadrillions, etc. For really big numbers, have a look at this page.
The number 123,456,789,876,543,210 would be expressed like this:
123 quadrillion, 456 trillion, 789 billion, 876 million, 543 thousand, 2 hundred and ten.
And, in case anyone is wondering about the significance of the number 5,865,696,000,000, it is the distance that light travels, at 186,000 miles per second, in one year. That distance is called a light year and, because of the vastness of space, is often used to express distances between galaxies or stars.
I knew how to say the number, but the last paragraph was a new lesson. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe enormity of space fascinates me, Jean. I remember reading a book once in which the author expressed things in space in terms of things with which we might be familiar, like a teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh as much as 'x' elephants, or some such. It was fascinating and if anyone should recognize that book and know the author/title, I would love to read it again.
ReplyDeleteI like the new photograph you are using in your profile. You've got the look of a mystery man who has just come to town and could make things right, given a chance. You make me think of a founder of a new political party, who believes less government is the preferred choice. With the unbelievable size of the surplus in Ottawa, head your horse east and nail your manifesto to the front door of parliament. Wild Bill.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bill. I've got good uses for any revenue surplus, at any level of government -- pay off the accumulated debt (national, provincial, or municipal,) make laws prohibiting deficit spending, and then cut taxes.
ReplyDeleteMy message is not what voters want to hear though.
LOL! You explained it FAR BETTER than the school books. I know, my Warrior is learning this now. I will be using your explanation instead of what the books says. Perfect timing, thanks for posting it. :o)
ReplyDelete"Space is BIG. Really, amazingly big...I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemists, but that's just peanuts to space. Listen..." - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
ReplyDeleteYep, that's a lightyear.
And our galaxy is 500,000 lightyears wide.
I went to school with a cracker-jack classmate who thought outer space was measured in astro-feet!
I like that song, Galt, in the Monty Python movie where Eric Idle sings about human insignificance in the universe and ends with an expression hoping for intelligent life elsewhere in the universe because there sure isn't any here on earth.
ReplyDeleteAstro-feet? Cute!
I was surprised by what the number meant. It had sounded to me like the Bush budget for carrying out the conclusion to the Iraq war.
ReplyDeleteLive and learn.
Good post and this post helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you seeking your information.
ReplyDeletesomeone has to say it, Anonymous this gentleman gives up his own time and resources to provide free insightful wisdom for any (who have at least enough intelligence)to want to learn (and enough to even realise the above mentioned fact) so instead of whining (in an incomprehenssible msg)about his lack of provided info, try asking politely for an update, OR GO TO THE LIBRARY and use your own brain to gather info, 42yo truckie, Australia, P.S, Thank you Sieg for your fantastic site, my tins lids are refered to it regularly to seek knowledge, cheers mate, G'day to Canada.(i had better get an ID before i hop down off my horse)
ReplyDeleteOops, yes (anyone who feels the need to comment)i'm aware of my typo's, i'm only a truckie, so talk to the wall.
ReplyDeleteThanks, radrob14; always nice to hear from someone 'down under.'
ReplyDeleteHello back from snowy and cold Ontario, Canada!
5865696000000 is 1 light year in miles
ReplyDelete