Why is it that the factorial of the numbers 70 and above results to a math error in the calculator?

Question

anonymous · Answer

What do you mean?

luigi0210 · Answer

Maybe because the numbers have gotten to big and they overflow the calculator

anonymous · Answer

When I type 70! (which means the factorial of 70) in the calculator, it results to a math error, same with the numbers 71,72...100, and above

luigi0210 · Answer

Calculators have their limits too

anonymous · Answer

Probably too big then...It happens

anonymous · Answer

Same with the Factorial java program I made. When I enter 70, the result is 0.

anonymous · Answer

DO you need to to find it, plug it into google.

anonymous · Answer

Google calculator tells the answer to you:)

anonymous · Answer

Yes, I need it to satisfy my curiosity.

anonymous · Answer

Use google calculator I checked, it works!

anonymous · Answer

where, give me the link

mandre · Answer

http://www.calculator-tab.com/

anonymous · Answer

https://www.google.com/search?q=70!&oq=70!&aqs=chrome.0.69i57j0j5j0j69i62l2.2943j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

hero · Answer

I'm using TI-Nspire CAS...

I don't have that problem

anonymous · Answer

Yah it works, thanks. But I still want to know how to apply it in my program. I still need to do more research.

anonymous · Answer

@mtalampas21 It's precisely due to what @Luigi0210 stated. If the numbers get too large, your calculator may not be able to display them..

anonymous · Answer

yah, maybe.

anonymous · Answer

You're right. I found out that the largest factorial that most calculators can handle is 69.

hero · Answer

On TI-Nspire, it goes up to 449!

dumbcow · Answer

depends on the size of memory of calculator....numbers are stored as bits, if number gets too large to be represented in binary (64 bits) then you get overflow error

mandre · Answer

calculator-tab.com goes up to 170! What I would like to know is what the biggest number is that anyone has ever worked with. Astronomers might be working with big ones and those people who work with electronic microscopes (biologists?) might work with the smallest. 

If I remember correctly Tony Buzan estimated the number of pathways between neurons (used for memory) were around 10^100. Must investigate!

wolf1728 · Answer

Most calculators have 2 digits for displaying exponents.  When a number is larger than 10^100 power, it cannot be displayed.  70 factorial is greater than 10^100