Linda Sue Marsh, age l2 Boise, Idaho,

What number comes after a billion?

Not all the countries are agreed about the size of these whopping big numbers. In the United States, a billion is one thousand millions, It is written as a figure one followed by nine zeros, Of course, the very next number to a billion is one billion and one. But Andy things that Linda Sue wants to know the next whopping number.

It is a trillion, equal to one thousand billions. You write it with a figure one followed by twelve zeros. The next whopper is a quadrillion, equal to one thousand trillions. You write it with a figure one followed by fifteen zeros.

The next whopping number is a quintillion, equal to one thousand quadrillions. You write it with‑a figure one followed by 18 zeros, There are more of these whoppers, each one is a thousand times bigger than the one before. Each one adds three more zeros to the end of the long line.