100/Historical Note
Historical Note on $100$ (One Hundred)
The number $100$ (one hundred) was at one time sometimes referred to in England as a short hundred.
This was to distinguish it from the term long hundred for the number $120$.
Both terms are now obsolete in England, although the term great hundred for $120$ is still used in Germany and Scandinavia.
The boiling point of water is defined as being $100$ degrees Celsius.
The number $100$ is expressed in Roman numerals as $\mathrm C$.
This originates from the first letter of the Latin word centum, meaning $100$.
The archetypal "big number", to small children, is $100$. This most likely stems from the fact that their first introduction to numbers is the exercise to count to $100$. As this is where the count stops, $100$ is the biggest number they know.
Once introduced to the concept of one hundred and one, however, their level of arithmetical sophistication is soon seen to increase.
Sources
- 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): $12$
- 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): $50$
- 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): $100$
- 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $12$
- 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $50$
- 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $100$