Resource: Visualizing BIG Numbers               http://www.kokogiak.com/megapenny/default.asp




Provider: Kokogiak Media

Summary: We hear BIG numbers mentioned all of the time - government budgets require trillions of dollars, computers have billions of bytes, and a space probe travels millions of miles. Talking about these gigantic numbers is one thing -- visualizing them can be very difficult.

Description: How much is a billion or a trillion or a quintillion? Well, at today's website you can find out.

The MegaPenny Project takes one small U.S. penny and shows you what a billion (or a trillion or more) pennies would look like. You'll even find out how many pennies it would take to fill the Empire State Building. Not only will you SEE what that many pennies would look like, you'll discover things such as the value of the pennies, size of the pile, weight, and the area they would cover (if laid flat). Computer images make visualization of these gigantic numbers and facts a snap.

When you get to the site you will see a brief introduction and a menu. For the best effect, ignore the menu and follow the progressive "tour" from start to finish by clicking on the words "Enter The MegaPenny Project." You and your kids will be amazed to discover what BIG numbers really look like and you will also find out some fascinating information along the way, such as the answer to this question:

Would you rather be paid one million dollars today - or - would you rather be paid one penny today (1¢), twice that tomorrow (2¢), twice that the next (4¢), etc. for 30 days? Go to today's site to find the answer. When you finish exploring the MegaPenny Project -- don't miss the MegaMoo project. (Same idea, only using Holstein cows!)