QuantitiesSee the number. Count the dots.
Dots shown1
Each dot1
Large dot

Distance (zoom)×

Drag to orbit. Right-drag, Shift-drag or two fingers to pan. Scroll or pinch to zoom toward the pointer. Double-click zooms in on a spot (Shift for out). R fits the view.

Hides the panel, enlarges the number and readouts and gives the dots the whole screen. Press P or Esc to come back.

Text size
Appearance
Animation
Quality

Auto keeps the frame rate smooth. Ultra draws at up to three times the screen resolution with larger, smoother dots, which suits a projector but asks more of the graphics chip.

Keys: 1 to 7 jump to 1, 100, 10 thousand, 1 million, 100 million, 10 billion and 1 trillion, arrow keys on the dial move by a tenth of a decade (hold Shift for a whole decade), M and Shift+M change the arrangement, K changes the color, F shows the next real quantity, J plays powers of ten, C compares with the previous amount, Space re-forms the dots, R fits the view, + and - zoom, H hides the controls, D switches light and dark, O shows or hides this panel, P starts presentation mode, Esc closes it.

What a number looks like

Big numbers are hard to picture. Here every number is made of real dots, so you can see how much more a million is than a thousand.

Type an amount, turn the dial or tap a decade button. The dots re-form into the amount you chose, and the line under the number compares it with something real.

With 100 or more dots, every tenth, hundredth or thousandth dot is drawn larger so you can count in groups. Past a million, one dot stands for ten, a hundred or more, and the Each dot readout tells you how many.

The time to count assumes one dot every second, with no breaks.

What to try

  • Press Powers of ten and watch each step make the field ten times larger.
  • Switch on Compare with previous, then jump from 1,000 to 1,000,000 and see the first amount beside the second.
  • Try Blocks and step through 10, 100 and 1,000 to watch units make a rod, rods make a flat and flats make a cube.