A quintillion has 18 zeros. In numerical form, a quintillion is written as 1,000,000,000,000,000,000.
To break it down, the term ‘quintillion’ is part of the short scale numbering system, which is commonly used in the United States and most English-speaking countries. Each new term in this system is a thousand times larger than the previous one. So, starting from one (which has no zeros), we have:
- Million – 6 zeros (1,000,000)
- Billion – 9 zeros (1,000,000,000)
- Trillion – 12 zeros (1,000,000,000,000)
- Quadrillion – 15 zeros (1,000,000,000,000,000)
- Quintillion – 18 zeros (1,000,000,000,000,000,000)
This pattern continues with each new term in the scale. Therefore, when you say a quintillion, remember it’s a big number with 18 zeros!