 Our
planet is 4.55 billion (4,550,000,000) years old!
Compared with
other animals, humans have long lives. Relative to the 4.55 billion-year
history of our planet, however, our 80-year life spans pass in an instant
of time. Because we tend to think in terms of months and years, time
periods that affect our daily lives, it’s sometimes difficult to comprehend
the immense amount of time that geologists refer to as 'geologic time'.
So, how much is a billion? The answer
depends on who you ask! Americans do not agree with the British on names
for numbers over a million! The American system is shown here.
|
| 1 Thousand |
1,000 |
103 |
| 1 Million |
1,000,000 |
106 |
| 1 Billion |
1,000,000,000 |
109 |
| 1 Trillion |
1,000,000,000,000 |
1012 |
| 1 Quadrillion |
1,000,000,000,000,000 |
1015 |
| 1 Quintillion |
1,000,000,000,000,000,000 |
1018 |
|
