How Many Zeros in a Googol?
How many zeros in a googol? A googol has 100 zeros: it is the number 1 followed by exactly 100 zeros, written in scientific notation as 10100. The term was coined in 1920 by Milton Sirotta, the nine-year-old nephew of mathematician Edward Kasner, who asked his nephew to name an unimaginably large number. Learn more about jillion zeros.
A googol has
100
zeros
- Written Form
- 1 followed by 100 zeros
- Scientific
- 10¹⁰⁰
Verifying the Zero Count in a Googol
The direct answer: exactly 100 zeros. In scientific notation, 10100 tells you everything — the exponent 100 is the number of zeros following the leading 1. Related: How many zeros does a googolplexian have.
A googol is larger than the total estimated number of atoms in the observable universe (roughly 1080) — exceeding the atom count by a factor of 1020, or 100 billion billion.
Despite its astronomical size, a googol is still a precisely defined, finite number — one of the first "named" large numbers coined purely for the purpose of having a name for something vast, rather than arising from a scientific application.
Googol's Place Among Named Numbers
| Number | Zeros | Notation |
|---|---|---|
| Trillion | 12 | 1012 |
| Centillion | 303 | 10303 |
| Googol | 100 | 10100 |
| Googolplex | 10100 | 10(10100) |
Is a Googolplex 10 Times a Googol?
No — this is a common misconception. A googolplex is 10 raised to the power of a googol (10googol), not 10 multiplied by a googol.
- 10 × googol
10101— only slightly larger than a googol- 10googol (a googolplex)
- incomparably larger than 10 × googol
How Many Millions Are in a Googol?
- 1 googol ÷ 1 million =
1094millions 1094is still larger than the atom count of the universe (1080) by a factor of 1014
Zeros in a Googol: FAQ
Who coined the word "googol"?
Quick answer
Milton Sirotta, the nine-year-old nephew of mathematician Edward Kasner, coined it in 1920. Learn more about googolplex zeros.
Is a googol bigger than a centillion?
Quick answer
No — a googol (100 zeros) is actually smaller than a centillion (303 zeros).
Is a googol a real number?
Yes — despite its playful origin, a googol has a precise, agreed mathematical value: exactly 10100.
How many zeros in a googol vs a googolplex?
A googol has 100 zeros; a googolplex has a googol of zeros (10100 zeros) — incomparably more.
Is "Google" the company named after googol?
Yes — the search engine's name is a deliberate misspelling of "googol," chosen to reflect the company's mission of organizing a vast amount of information.