[OT]Name of a number

[Sixchan]

Do we British go up in millions?

1000000mil = billion
1000000bil = trillion
1000000tril = quadrillion (I think quillion is a better name.)


See, I've always had it that:

a thousand thousands = a million
a million millions = a billion
a billion billions = a trillion
a trillion trillions = a quillion (I think it's a nicer name than quadrillion)

and so on. Oh well...

 

[Datt]

Do we British go up in millions?

1000000mil = billion
1000000bil = trillion
1000000tril = quadrillion (I think quillion is a better name.)


See, I've always had it that:

a thousand thousands = a million
a million millions = a billion
a billion billions = a trillion
a trillion trillions = a quillion (I think it's a nicer name than quadrillion)

and so on. Oh well...

The rest of the world might go up like that, but you know the good ole USA. We have to teach our kids a system different than everyone else.

What the heck is a Keelometor?

 

[jmucchiello]

Do we British go up in millions?

1000000mil = billion
1000000bil = trillion
1000000tril = quadrillion (I think quillion is a better name.)


See, I've always had it that:

a thousand thousands = a million
a million millions = a billion
a billion billions = a trillion
a trillion trillions = a quillion (I think it's a nicer name than quadrillion)

and so on. Oh well...

The second one is correct in UK. I just didn't fully explain it. I did say though that it made more sense than the US system. There's only one way to say the number unless you repeat the name. Of course, I don't get the milliard or billiard.

 

[Storminator]

Personally, I think the US system makes more sense, as it has less ambiguity in the thousands term. For example

123,456,789,123,456,789

is called:

123 quadrillion, 456 trillion, 789 billion, 123 million, 456 thousand 789

in the US nominclature, and:

123 thousand 456 billion ,789 thousand 123 million, 456 thousand 789

in the british. Those extra thousands require more careful attention, and they require you to redefine your sense of the number as you hear more of it. The British gets even worse if you start having thousand-million-billion terms in there.

PS

 

[Sixchan]

So...the British makes Numerical sense while the American makes what...grammatical sense?

Well, I'd have to agree the American is simpler and easier, and though I might use my system privately, I use the American system among strangers or whoever.

 

[Storminator]

So...the British makes Numerical sense while the American makes what...grammatical sense?

Well, I'd have to agree the American is simpler and easier, and though I might use my system privately, I use the American system among strangers or whoever.

I must be dense. Why does the British system make numerical sense?

PS

 

[jmucchiello]

I must be dense. Why does the British system make numerical sense?

It uses fewer terms to create larger numbers. Afterall, a UK billion billions is 10^24 or a trillion. A US trillion is only 10^12. 10^24 in US terms is around a duodecillion. (latin is not my forte.)

 

[Storminator]

It uses fewer terms to create larger numbers. Afterall, a UK billion billions is 10^24 or a trillion. A US trillion is only 10^12. 10^24 in US terms is around a duodecillion. (latin is not my forte.)

But it leaves larger and larger gaps of "unnamed" numbers between terms. I'd call that a point in the US systems favor, not the UK's.

PS