How Many Zeros in a Googolplex?
How many zeros in a googolplex? A googolplex has 10100 zeros — a googol of zeros — making it one of the largest named numbers in mathematics. Written as 10googol, a googolplex is a 1 followed by a googol of zeros. The name was coined by mathematician Edward Kasner in the 1930s, with the spelling suggested by his nine-year-old nephew Milton Sirotta. Learn more about zeros in a gazillion.
A googolplex has
10¹⁰⁰
zeros
- Written Form
- 1 followed by a googol zeros
- Scientific
- 10^(10¹⁰⁰)
Verifying the Zero Count in a Googolplex
The direct answer: exactly 10100 zeros — a quantity called a googol. The zeros in a googolplex are not 100 zeros; they are a googol of zeros, meaning you need 10100 individual zero digits to write out the number. See also: How many zeros in each number.
| Number | Zeros | Scientific notation |
|---|---|---|
| Googol | 100 | 10100 |
| Googolplex | 10100 (a googol) | 10(10100) |
The step from googol to googolplex is not adding zeros — it is raising the zero count to a power that is itself a googol.
Does a Googolplex Have 1,000,000 Zeros?
No. A googolplex does not have one million zeros — it has 10100 zeros, incomparably larger than one million (106). Even one trillion zeros would be negligibly small compared to a googolplex.
Why Can't You Write Out a Googolplex?
Writing a googolplex in full decimal form is physically impossible, not merely impractical.
If you wrote one zero per second from the beginning of the universe (~13.8 billion years, roughly 4.3 × 1017 seconds), you'd have written fewer than 1018 zeros — a time span roughly 1082 times shorter than what a googolplex would require.
What Would It Take to Store a Googolplex?
- The observable universe contains roughly 1080 atoms
- Even turning every atom into ink for one zero falls short by 1020
- A googolplex can be expressed and reasoned about, but never fully written out
Zeros in a Googolplex: FAQ
Who coined the word "googolplex"?
Quick answer
Edward Kasner in the 1930s, with the name suggested by his nephew Milton Sirotta.
Is a googolplex bigger than a googol?
Quick answer
Yes, vastly — a googolplex has a googol of zeros, not just 100.
Can a googolplex be written out in full?
No — there isn't enough matter or time in the observable universe to write all its zeros.
Is a googolplex the largest named number?
No — googolplexian is larger still, and mathematicians have defined even larger numbers like Graham's number.
How is a googolplex written mathematically?
As 10googol, or equivalently 10(10100).