# A trillion dollars

1. Apr 2, 2009

### wolram

If it were paper money how much would that weigh in hundred dollar bills, how many trees would it equate to.

2. Apr 2, 2009

### turbo

A US bill weighs about a gram so $1,000,000,000,000 in$100 notes would weigh 10,000,000,000 grams or 10,000,000 Kg. Hmm... 10 million kilos is a lot of trees.

For the record, though, US currency is printed on rag-stock, not paper and long-cotton fiber fabric is the preferred feed-stock. Think Fruit of the Loom undies and bleached denim waste from clothing manufacture. It appears that someone has been reading about the G20, the World Bank, and the IMF....

BTW, please ask your queen not to be so grabby as to put her arm around our First Lady. We have protocols to observe, you know. :tongue:

3. Apr 2, 2009

### zoobyshoe

Paper money is not made from trees:

4. Apr 2, 2009

### waht

One trillion is 1000 billion, so it would equal to 1000/100 = 10 billion \$100 dollar bills.

According this this source 1 ton of paper is made from 12 trees.

http://www.conservatree.com/learn/EnviroIssues/TreeStats.shtml

1 bill weighs about 1 gram and that equals to 1.1 *10^-6 tons

So 1 bill = 13.2 * 10^-6 trees

multiply that by 10 billion equals 132000 trees

5. Apr 2, 2009

### wolram

True the g20 set my mind agog, and made me wonder how long the dollar or pound or yen would be worth more than the raw material, i once had ten grand in twenty notes in my grubby paws and thought it was a kings Ransom.

6. Apr 2, 2009

7. Apr 2, 2009

### Pengwuino

I'd gladly take it off your hands if you don't feel its worth having :)

8. Apr 2, 2009

### wolram

Hello Pengwuino, nice to see you back, i would share to a good a good cause but not a Mr Burns.

9. Apr 2, 2009

### LowlyPion

So that means you better have a freight train, if you are demanding ransom of 1 trillion in small unmarked bills.

That could make getting away a little conspicuous.

10. Apr 2, 2009

### signerror

You may enjoy this:

I hear Timothy Geithner used to sleep in the vault.

Last edited by a moderator: May 4, 2017
11. Apr 2, 2009

### wolram

They don't stack it very neatly, if it were up to me each bar would have a 2 mm gap, but i would rather sleep under a tree than in that sterile environment.

Last edited by a moderator: May 4, 2017
12. Apr 2, 2009

### signerror

I was joking - just in case. :uhh: (Timothy Geithner is the U.S. Treasury Secretary, until recently director of the NY Federal Reserve, where the gold is.)

13. Apr 2, 2009

### wolram

As was i, i am never serious in these matters, as long as i can keep warm and fed i care not.

14. Apr 2, 2009

### Jimmy Snyder

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Can you think of any other metal that is molded into ingots and stored away never to be used for anything whatever?

Last edited by a moderator: May 4, 2017
15. Apr 2, 2009

### Astronuc

Staff Emeritus
I believe some platinum (and perhaps silver) is similarly treated. I think the point is to possess it.

16. Apr 2, 2009

### wolram

Platinum? the only one i can think as a may be.

17. Apr 2, 2009

### wolram

Sod it beaten by walks far man

18. Apr 2, 2009

### zoobyshoe

No, paper money is fine, for the word paper does not refer exclusively to products made from wood:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paper

19. Apr 2, 2009

### Jimmy Snyder

To what end? For an individual, there may be some hope that eventually you can sell it to an even bigger idiot. But from society's point of view, what is the purpose of mining, smelting, molding and storing these dead weights? They're like black holes. So much goes into them and nothing comes out.

20. Apr 2, 2009

### Astronuc

Staff Emeritus
A bird in the hand, . . . .

Actually, I find it quite silly. I personally think gold, diamonds and other bits of stuff are way over-valued. But then that's me.

One problem I see with accumulating great wealth is the fear of losing it. I don't see that wealthy people are proportionately happier. Rather, they seem disproportionately unhappy or ill at ease.