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Googol

Googol

The number 10100. This number can be written as a 1 followed by 100 zeros.

 

 

See also

Googolplex

Key Formula

1 googol=101001 \text{ googol} = 10^{100}
Where:
  • 1010010^{100} = 10 multiplied by itself 100 times

Example

Problem: How many zeros does a googol have when written out in full, and how does it compare to some familiar large numbers?
Step 1: Write a googol using exponent notation.
1 googol=101001 \text{ googol} = 10^{100}
Step 2: Count the zeros. Since 10n10^n is a 1 followed by nn zeros, a googol has exactly 100 zeros.
10100=100…0⏟100 zeros10^{100} = 1\underbrace{00\ldots0}_{100 \text{ zeros}}
Step 3: Compare to other powers of 10. A million is 10610^6, a billion is 10910^9, and a trillion is 101210^{12}. A googol is vastly larger — it has 100 digits of zeros, while a trillion has only 12.
10100=1012×108810^{100} = 10^{12} \times 10^{88}
Answer: A googol has exactly 100 zeros when written out. It is 108810^{88} times larger than a trillion.

Why It Matters

The googol illustrates just how large numbers can get, even with a relatively simple exponent. Scientists estimate the observable universe contains roughly 108010^{80} atoms, so a googol exceeds even that count. The search engine company Google took its name from a misspelling of "googol," reflecting an ambition to organize vast amounts of information.

Common Mistakes

Mistake: Confusing a googol (1010010^{100}) with a googolplex (101010010^{10^{100}}).
Correction: A googol is 1010010^{100}. A googolplex is 1010 raised to the power of a googol — an incomprehensibly larger number that could not be written out in full even if every particle in the universe were an ink dot.

Related Terms

  • Googolplex — 10 raised to the power of a googol
  • Zero — The digit repeated 100 times in a googol
  • Exponent — Notation used to express a googol concisely
  • Powers of 10 — A googol is a specific power of 10
  • Scientific Notation — Method for writing very large numbers like a googol