Post by thread:Was: Beginners Problem ?? now Units

>One billion is a thousand million in the US and a million million in the >UK. Unfortunately, there is now no consistent 'oral protocol' for billion in the UK. Historically, a UK billion was a million million, but the US usage is now quite common, but not exclusive. So you have to know the context/background of the author. Stuart Meier Wyndham Associates UK --

It was my thought that at least in the US anyway, when you got to 1,000,000, that meant 1 million( or one thousand thousand). When you have one thousand thousand thousand, that is one billion. Now, note that the root prefix of Million (Mono), means one or the first order of thousand above thousand, and that the root prefix of Billion (Bi), means two, or the second order of thousand above a thousand. Thereafter, it follows that the third order of a thousand beyond a thousand would be a trillion, or (Tri) etc., etc., etc. Was anyone else taught this in grade school? Regards, Jim {Original Message removed}

Jim, why be stuck on thousands? > (Mono), means one or the first order of thousand above thousand, and that > the root prefix of Billion (Bi), means two, or the second order of > thousand above a thousand. Thereafter, it follows that the third you can equally well apply the same logic using millions as your base unit instead of thousands, your text: "first order of thousand *above* thousand," sems a little contrived in comparison. regards, Graham Daniel.

Graham Daniel wrote: > Jim, why be stuck on thousands? > you can equally well apply the same logic using millions as your base > unit instead of thousands, your text: "first order of thousand *above* > thousand," sems a little contrived in comparison. Contrived in a way that only a politician or a salesman could, or would. And are not both true American artforms? (Rmemeber: "I never had an improper relationship with Miss Lewinski") I have *never* been able to see the "bi" in 10^9 at all! But then, if anything, I'm more mathematician than salesman, to my wife's eternal regret. -- Cheers, Paul B.

Graham, Maybe so, but thats just the way I was taught, and I saw no reason to change. Regards, Jim {Quote hidden}>Jim, why be stuck on thousands? > >> (Mono), means one or the first order of thousand above thousand, and that >> the root prefix of Billion (Bi), means two, or the second order of >> thousand above a thousand. Thereafter, it follows that the third > >you can equally well apply the same logic using millions as your base >unit instead of thousands, your text: "first order of thousand *above* >thousand," sems a little contrived in comparison. >regards, >Graham Daniel. >