What are there more of: grains of sand on the Earth's beaches or planets in the galaxy?

Question

There's a lot of both. But what is there more of: grains of sand on Earth, or planets in the galaxy?

Answer 1

Grains

Answer 2

Why do different people always seem to ask the same question at the same time? I answered this very same question just a little while ago. Was there some story on the Internet saying this and everyone is rushing here to verify it or what? Anyway, here is how I answered this question a little while ago:

I have heard this often but never seen a calculation. If you accept estimates of 100 billion stars in each of 100 billion galaxies in the universe, then I calculate that if every star were a 1mm grain, which is coarse or medium coarse sand, it would be enough sand to cover the Earth about 1 inch deep. Now, if you spread all the sand in the world out evenly, including on the ocean floor, is it deeper than 1 inch or less? I don't know.

Answer 3

I'm guessing you are confusing these questions with the statement that "there are more stars in the universe than all the grains of sand on all the beaches on Earth"-- a fact. There are NOT more planets or stars in any one galaxy than grains of sand on all the beaches-- not even close. It should also be pointed out there though we can give a pretty good estimate of how many stars are in the galaxy, the number of planets remains a mystery.

Answer 4

There are more grains of sand on Earth than there are stars in the galaxy and I would imagine threre are more grains of sand than there are planets. We don't know for sure (nobody does) but that would be the best educated guess. :o) Ig uess we'd all better get counting

Answer 5

well to date i think (outside of our solar system) only identified like 100 planets - so i would surmise that grains of sand on earth is the answer - now if you ask are there more grains of sand on earth or stars in the universe - it would be stars in the universe

Answer 6

It should be as many grains of sand on beaches as there are "stars in the Universe". It's a quote from Carl Sagan.

Answer 7

Probably grains of sand.

Answer 8

I would consider both of these to be infinite sets in one way, and finite sets in another.

A planet exists in a finite area of space. Perhaps so too does "the galaxy."

Infinity may be more of a perception than an amount.

Answer 9

nicely, in case you assert so. yet what does which could do with the 'faith and concept' class? Get it into the technology class, rapid, before the chanting followers of the mystical sky-daddies are throughout it!