How far would $1 trillion take you?
Tom @ Topical Talk
04 January 2022
This activity helps you understand the difference between..
- one million dollars ($1,000,000)
- one billion dollars ($1,000,000,000)
- and one trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000)
(apart from a lot of zeros!)
Let's play a quick game!
Stand on one side of the room and take one step forward.
Imagine that every step you take costs $1. How much would it cost to get to the other side of the room? $5? $10?
If you spent $1,000 like this, you would end up around 760 metres away.
So, now let's investigate how far you would go with some higher amounts of money...
Your challenge:
What ONE WORD sums up your response to learning about the size of a trillion? Explain in one sentence why you have chosen this word.
Example:
My one-word reaction is...e.g. "shocked"
I have chosen this word because...
The best answers will pick original words that other people have not used yet and give a clear explanation for your choice.
Comments (72)
04 Jan 2022
If I had that amount, I would definitely be confused
Because I would be confused as to what I should spend this money on.
What would you spend it on, pioneering_wilddog?
Of course I will spend this money, on myself, but as much as I need, and I will spend some of it for the poor and needy, and some of it for charitable institutions, and so on.....
Frankly, if I had a lot of money to help the state solve the problem of climate change by paying the costs of using renewable energy sources, and some money I would spend on children with cancer patients to build private hospitals for them and pay for their medicines, and some money I would develop my company in it and so I am right in spend my money.
.If I were you, I would spend part of my wealth to fix the negatives that resulted from me while earning this money, whether on the environment, the climate or the society in which I live, and I will donate part of it to natural aid
04 Jan 2022
My reaction was: I was very surprised, because the number is not small, and I realized how large this amount is, and it looks like the number of germs on the human hand.
I wonder how these people who own this amount got it, how long did it take, and what do you do with it?
Are there any trillionaires out there? And if so, can you research some of the answers to your own questions?
04 Jan 2022
My reaction will be (surprised)
Because a trillion is not an amount that can be ignored..!
Can you imagine the size of a trillion where it came from and where it will be spent..?! You will have a lot of strange questions in your head...!
Good questions, independent_technology. Could you maybe answer one of your own questions, ie, what would you spend $1 trillion on?
04 Jan 2022
My one-word reaction is..."Shocked"
I chose this word because if I had this amount, I would pay off my debts, establish charitable institutions, help the poor and the state to advance, and after luxury, buy an island, stay away from people, enjoy life and buy cars.
Thanks for your comment, steadfast_woodpecker. I noticed you mentioned that you'd spend part of your $1 trillion to stay away from people. Why is that?
To take a break from the noise and because it allows him to face his fears and the worst moments of his inner soliloquy, in addition to the fact that moving away helps in controlling and directing emotions, and it also enables him to determine the severity of their impact on a person, which makes his personality stronger.
04 Jan 2022
My reaction is that it is difficult or impossible to obtain that amount due to geographical, environmental and natural obstacles....but if the difficulties are overcome and the amount obtained will be spending on the refugees in the world and providing them with financial and material assistance. As a Palestinian refugee in the Gaza Strip, I suffered and suffer from The consequences of immigration, displacement and asylum, and the loss of rights and marginalization of the refugee, and work to help them overcome the behaviors of persecution, oppression and the accompanying threat to them
What are some of the geographical, environmental and natural obstacles you're thinking of, aware_painting?
Geographical obstacles that I live in a small besieged geographical area far from the world. The environment in which I live prevents me from traveling for political reasons that surround me and the natural is that I cannot walk all these distances completely freely
Thank you very much for sharing, aware_painting.
I also think that there are natural geographic environmental obstacles that I am thinking of, such as the depletion of natural resources, water and air pollution, global warming, climate change, noise pollution, ocean and sea pollution.
05 Jan 2022
My one- word reaction is “astonished”. I have chosen this word because I cannot imagine to get this incredible size even in my dreams.
Try expanding your imagination and think of how you can put the money to good use. Got any thoughts?
As I live in poor territory to some extent, If I have such money, I will try to contribute in No Hunger campaigns, education for all campaigns and/or creating job opportunities to people where I live.
05 Jan 2022
If I had that amount I would be very shocked and I would spend the money on things that are worth spending like education Few things that can give a person happiness like that felt when learning a new language for example. Although language lessons are often expensive, the money paid is not a waste at all as long as one adds an important store of knowledge and also travels. Traveling outside the country gains information and learns about the customs and traditions of countries and also helps the poor and the needy
Very interesting reasons to learn new languages and travel. What language would you like to learn? Which countries would you like to travel to?
Thank you for this wonderful speech. Your question is what language do you want to learn frankly? I want to learn the Japanese language because I have always loved to learn it and the reason for choosing this language over other languages is because it is considered one of the official languages and because it is the official language in Japan and the countries I like to travel to are Japan because it enjoys Japan has great influence on the international stage, as it is one of the largest donor countries and an important source of capital and international loans
I would like to learn Fanti and travel to Ghana, Dubai and America
05 Jan 2022
If I had that amount I would be amazed and unimaginable. Because this amount does not cross my mind, how can it be real.
05 Jan 2022
My one word reaction is “dazzled”.
I have chosen this word because it is fascinating to see an approximate scale of the worth of 1 Trillion Dollars and to be able to compare it with the distance between the Sun and Earth is beyond amazing.
how interesting my name is dazzling_chocolate
It's a great name - now can you tell us your answer about the question?
That's an interesting analogy. If you indeed get this amount of money, what would you like to spend it on?
06 Jan 2022
If I had a large sum first, I would be stunned and shocked, because this is a large sum, and because I did not dream of this amount, and I would spend it on important things, helping the poor and needy in secret, and also I would spend it on achieving my dreams, traveling abroad and learning all the languages of the world fluently.
Those are exciting plans! If I may ask, which countries would you travel to and why?
Well, some people travel for tourism and luxury, but I want to travel all over the world in order to learn and get acquainted with the customs and traditions of countries. It is an honor for me to answer your question, which country do you want to travel to and why. Well, I want to travel to Sweden because Sweden is again one of the most reputable countries in the world. the world, outperforming Canada. Sweden has all the characteristics and criteria set by researchers in advance. It is a safe, beautiful country, and welcomes its visitors, according to what its citizens say. I want to travel to Morocco, because it is one of the most cultured Arab countries. and others
07 Jan 2022
If I had this amount of money, I would certainly be very happy with this money. I would open an orphanage to take care of orphans, support schools to educate them, buy my various needs and help the poor.
09 Jan 2022
the best word to describe is AGHAST
well, I used this word because this is a huge number and I really gonna be shocked if I had such this amount of money. one billion dollars means achieving a lot of my goals using it such as investing some of it so that I can get the money my whole life and traveling to poor countries and helping people there by building factories and schools to train and educate people to prepare them for life because I believe in the quote that says "don't give me a fish but teach me how to fish ". and that way I will build not only lifes but also an economy. that way I helped myself and others.
09 Jan 2022
My one word reaction was :- Captivated
This activity simply compelled me to think how big amount one trillion dollars is ! So many things that I could achieve if I had that amount!!
What would some of these "so many things" be? Do you have some interesting ideas you'd like to share?
I have thought a lot of things which seems to me interesting
Firstly I will keep the 1% of total amount in banks so that I can sustain some money with me everytime and spend it for future needs.
Secondly I will donate, the 45% of the 99% left with me , to the needy and poor ones.
Thirdly, I will invest the rest of the money in setting up a innovation centre . My country is full of inovators , sometimes I see in news about the people living in very remote areas and they have inovated wonderful things . This really fascinates me. So I will gather such inovators there and will invest on the best inovations.
10 Jan 2022
Happy, do you know why?
If I get this amount, I will present it and give it to the International Anti-Corruption Commission (I don't know what its name is) as there are many crimes. In the future as I will use organic and natural materials in my designs (this is my dream).
10 Jan 2022
I think I will spend this money first on building or buying in every city in the name of "Ibn Al-Sabil" that hosts the stranded during their travels.
Second: Students worked in the past, and they slept in a housing designated for them, paid their tuition fees, took their studies expenses, took study expenses, provided that they would be fully recovered in convenient installments after that.
10 Jan 2022
My one-word reaction is (Shocked) I chose this word because with this amount I will achieve my dream that will fulfill the dreams of many people, which is to do a job support program for small and medium-sized companies in my country, there are many small projects in my country that when you do not find anyone to support them Financially it closes and many companies do this, which led to the spread of the unemployment problem. When I have this amount, I will work to develop projects and companies by financially supporting them, which will ensure a beautiful life for my community, and here I did not think about my personal interests only.
11 Jan 2022
The word I would use would be proud because if I had saved up that much money it would mean I was a very hard worker
12 Jan 2022
I was overwhelmed with great happiness as I imagine myself owning a million dollars to travel around the world, since I was born and I have not left my hometown, let me board the ship of dreams and tell you that I will tour the great countries, visit cultural and entertainment centers in the United States of America, Britain and France, and take souvenir photos with the camera that I keep, I will cross water bodies of seas and oceans, I will tell fish about myself and my dreams, I will buy gifts for my comrades, I will fly like a bird in the sky of the continents I pronounce letters of love and peace
12 Jan 2022
lucky. ...you chose this word; Because such an amount helps me fulfill the hopes of many families who live in the quagmire of poverty that gnaws at them all the time. I can also help charitable institutions, and build public facilities and a hospital to treat patients who do not have the price of medicine and medical examinations. Perhaps I will be happy to participate in drawing a smile for the category. deprived of having children, may contribute to reducing the unemployment rate among young people
13 Jan 2022
My reaction is astonished. I chose this word because I will achieve my dream, which is to build a hospital for cancer and heart diseases, and to build a large house that brings together orphaned children so that they do not beg in the streets, and I will go to a restaurant to prepare a large amount of food to distribute to the needy.
14 Jan 2022
Well, I do not think that I will be able to describe my feeling in one word, but fear, is what I will feel, because I do not know that this money could be stolen from a bank, for example, and the thief wants to dress me with the accusation of stealing it, perhaps the money was not real, there will be a lots of ideas in my mind , an all of it would be possible to Somewhat .
Let's assume you had been given it through legal and moral means, supportive_literature!
Of course, it will be different, as I will feel reassured, because I know the source of this money, and I can spend it and not be afraid of anything.
14 Jan 2022
I think that if I had a trillion dollars, I would use this huge amount for the benefit of my country, which lacks many important facilities, the most important of which is the establishment of an international port and an international airport to facilitate trade communication and economic development with the countries of the world. To a sufficient number of beds, ambulances and treatment of incurable diseases, and since I have a large sum of money, I will work to upgrade my position in the country in order to have the right to fight against forms of corruption and its spread by state agencies, and to establish special schools that care for people with disabilities and schools to teach languages so that our country may flourish and shine a light with science and ambition. In general, I will build infrastructure and restart closed factories Achieving my dreams and ambitions in completing my educational and then professional career, learning the languages I love and dreaming of learning, and traveling to the countries I aspire to reach.
14 Jan 2022
The money can be used to help others by doing a project or investing through which you can employ workers and reduce unemployment, and also I can revive my country’s economy, so the interest will be public because it included helping others and improving their standard of living by providing them with a job opportunity, and also helping my country by improving its economy and reducing unemployment and poverty
15 Jan 2022
My reaction is (happy) because I had the first problem with myself and all the students in my school. It is the presence of one school in Al-Shoka neighborhood, which is dividing the students into a morning period and an evening period. If I got this amount, I would build another UNRWA school in the same neighborhood and eliminate the two shifts and become one period, which is the morning period that everyone prefers, students and teachers, and the provision of free buses For students who live far from school, hiring unemployed graduates whose percentage has become too large, and reducing unemployment rates.
15 Jan 2022
My reaction is (happy) because I had the first problem with myself and all the students in my school. It is the presence of one school in Al-Shoka neighborhood, which is dividing the students into a morning period and an evening period. If I got this amount, I would build another UNRWA school in the same neighborhood and eliminate the two shifts and become one period, which is the morning period that everyone prefers, students and teachers, and the provision of free buses For students who live far from school, hiring unemployed graduates whose percentage has become too large, and reducing unemployment rates.
16 Jan 2022
If I had this money, I would spend it on building an orphanage, a school for them to learn, and a hospital for people who could not be treated.
18 Jan 2022
My one word reaction is 'conciliatory'. I chose this word because the difference simple exchange of 'B' to 'T' can make is gigantic and this amount promises impeccable growth and opportunities.
18 Jan 2022
If I had a trillion dollars to spend, I would build an orphanage for homeless children, and I would provide them with special needs like eating, drinking, sleeping, learning, clothing, and buying a playground for disabled people who couldn't. Among the disabled, in this matter, he restores life to the disabled. He spreads a spirit of hope in their hearts. Some scholars say that a strong will achieves dreams, and they may be cured, God willing.
21 Jan 2022
If I had a trillion dollars, I would put about 5% in the bank to get some interest; I would give around 75% to the homeless shelter and those who are in need as they would need it more than me and so that they can help themselves and others with the money.Thirdly,I would give 25% to those key workers all around the world as a MASSIVE thank you for helping to support those who were suffering this year and making them recover from the deadly disease : they have worked day and night to look after others and not look after their health themselves.
Great suggestions - can you explain why interest is important?
The interest might be important because if I get it, I will earn more money and soon I will be able to give more money to the homeless ones and those who need it.
22 Jan 2022
If I get this amount of money, I will definitely work. I will spend the money on what is useful and useful. I will spend this money on adopting some orphans and also building large gardens for children and also helping schools to develop them, and this will increase the students’ love for schools and what is left for me
25 Jan 2022
Of course, if I had such an amount, I would build private hospitals for cancer and I would work on building special schools for inventions and discoveries because my community is full of smart people who do not have the means.
Good ideas, wondrous_flight. What advice would you give to the "smart people" that you mentioned?
They are the builders of the future and its leaders, and in their hands the torch that lights the paths for those who walk with them, and for those who follow them, and they are also the ones who possess the tools of change in both their local community and their human society, and that they must complete their journey of discovery, change and innovation. And learning, because learning is a process of deep interaction with the private and distant environment in the past, present and future, “You are like a small, soft plant, which needs more than it needs freedom as well as incentives. It is a fatal mistake to think that the pleasure of seeing and searching can be enhanced by means of oppression and a sense of duty.”
Therefore, you must move away from the barriers that hold you back, and overcome them, and obtain freedom for yourselves, for your communities, and for the world.
25 Jan 2022
My immediate reaction would be annoyed.
I would react like this because with one trillion dollars, you would just be stuck like that, because it would be so hard to get rid of, therefore, I would be annoyed because it would feel like a weight on top of me.
26 Jan 2022
I would feel powerful. I would feel this because no one in the world has surpassed a trillion dollars and a trillion is a lot. This is what I would spend the 1 trillion dollars on:
10% on charities=$100,000,000,000=$0.1 Trillion
15% on equipment to stop climate change=$150,000,000,000=$0.15 Trillion
25% on investments such as equipment for new things or a business=$250,000,000,000=$0.25 Trillion
50% on personal life investments like a house or the like=$500,000,000,000=$0.5 Trillion
This is what I would do if i had a trillion dollars.
Great numeracy skills! That would be an enormous house, digital_orca!
26 Jan 2022
If I have that amount, I will build first of all free health care and free schools without wasting time because there are many people in my country who cannot afford hospital and schools expenses.
Secondly, I would build a free shelter for the poor because there are so many homeless people in my country
Thirdly, I will save some money for my education and other expenses.
27 Jan 2022
After I saw the situation in which the Syrian children live, I decided to donate it completely in order to build houses for them to protect them from the cold winter, and I will buy winter clothes and buy food that helps them in this winter to satisfy their hunger.
28 Jan 2022
My one word reaction would be frustrated. As i would not enjoy having this amount of money because i would find it hared to decide what to donate, what to by and so on. I would enjoy a normal life without all of the stress of being a trillionare.
28 Jan 2022
My one-word reaction is suprised.
I have chosen this one-word because this would take centuries to make that much money and only a few companies/ people have that much money such as apple and Bezos.
Interesting comment, @amicable leopard. After discovering how much a million, billion or trillion actually is, do you think it is right that these big corporations you have mentioned have access to this amount of money? Has your opinion changed?
28 Jan 2022
My one word reaction is astonished. This is because I had never truly understood money and how much things are worth. I also didn't believe that someone could own that amount of money and I now understand how valuable and important it is to have money
Thanks for your comment @buzzing plantation! I agree with you that fully understanding the concept of money is difficult. Now you realise how valuable it is, does it change your opinion on big corporations having access to this amount of money?
02 Feb 2022
This is very interesting, but I will not spend all of it on myself, as there are those who need a little of this large amount.
You must be logged in with Student Hub access to post a comment. Sign up now!