What is Magnitude: Definition and 1000 Discussions

An order of magnitude is an approximation of the logarithm of a value relative to some contextually understood reference value, usually ten, interpreted as the base of the logarithm and the representative of values of magnitude one. Logarithmic distributions are common in nature and
considering the order of magnitude of values sampled from such a distribution can be more intuitive. When the reference value is ten, the order of magnitude can be understood as the number of digits in the base-10 representation of the value. Similarly, if the reference value is one of certain powers of two, the magnitude can be understood as the amount of computer memory needed to store the exact integer value.
Differences in order of magnitude can be measured on a base-10 logarithmic scale in “decades” (i.e., factors of ten). Examples of numbers of different magnitudes can be found at Orders of magnitude (numbers).

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  1. N

    Magnitude and Phase Bode Plot Help

    Hi all, on a current homework I have been given a transfer function and asked to draw the straight-line (asymptotic) magnitude (dB) and phase (degrees) Bode plot. I first learned Bode plots roughly a year ago, and while being on spring break and my notebook from last year is at school, I'm...
  2. X

    Astrophysics: Magnitude of sun when Jupiter crosses over it.

    Homework Statement An observer 5pc away observes the sun in the plane of Jupiter orbit. He cannot resolve either object but he notices a slight dimming of the star when Jupiter passes across the sun in his vision. Find the magnitude of the sun with and without Jupiter in front of it...
  3. Drakkith

    Limiting Magnitude of CCD Imaging

    Hey all. Looking at the following link http://starizona.com/acb/ccd/projectsfaint.aspx , the page says that limiting magnitude is mostly a function of aperture.(First paragraph in the Project Ideas section) I'm wondering why that is. Doesn't skyglow increase at the same rate as the light from...
  4. S

    Calculating the magnitude and sense of a couple moment

    Homework Statement question is attached with threadHomework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Is attached with thread. I tried solving by creating a moment at a point, which I did at 2 separate points points to give me the same answer, which I would expect, however it is not the answer I am...
  5. B

    Magnitude of Current through a Rectangular Loop, given the Magnetic field

    Homework Statement A rectangular loop with dimensions 4.2 cm by 9.5 carries current I. The current in the loop produces a magnetic field at the center of the loop that has magnitude 5.60×10−5 T and direction away from you as you view the plane of the loop.Homework Equations...
  6. D

    Rate of Deceleration & Magnitude of Force

    I'm not entirely sure of my answer, if it's wrong could some one point me in the right direction? Homework Statement A 140g ball is falling through the air at 36 meters per second (constant speed) prior to time 0. The ball impacts the floor at time 0. The ball decelerates until time 0.012...
  7. O

    Finding the magnitude of the magnetic field of a moving point charge

    Question: A point charge is moving with speed 2 x 107m/s along the x axis. At t=0, the charge is at x= 0m and the magnitude of the field at x=4m is B0. The magnitude of the magnetic field at x= 4m when t= 0.1μs is:The equation and my attempt at solving it is in the attachment. --I also converted...
  8. S

    Calculate the magnitude of the magnetic field

    Homework Statement Calculate the magnitude of the magnetic field from the previous table (see attachment). Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I've been googling for an answer but can't find how to obtain the magnitude of the magnetic field with the Intensity I and...
  9. I

    Question involving vector & magnitude

    Homework Statement "If a vector magnitude 10 is combined with a second vector, the two vectors have a sum with a magnitude of 18 and have a difference with a magnitude of 2√10. Rounded to the nearest hundredth of a degree, what is the measure of the smallest angle between the two vectors...
  10. L

    Magnitude of changing magnetic field

    Homework Statement A square loop consists of a single turn with a resistance of 4.00 Ω. The loop has an area of 600 cm^2, and has a uniform magnetic field passing through it that is directed out of the page. The loop contains a 12-volt battery, connected as shown in the figure below...
  11. K

    Magnitude of tension force using moment

    Homework Statement a uniform steel ring 60" in diameter and weighing 600 lbs is lifted by three cables each 50" long attached at points A (90*) B (90*) C (120*) with a radius of 30". compute the magnitude of tension force in each cableHomework Equations all moment equations ft=maThe Attempt at...
  12. K

    Moment vector expression to magnitude of moment

    Homework Statement find the magnitude and angle of the moment moment=-2.8i-1.53j+2.24k force tension=2.4 kNHomework Equations rxf=rfsin(theta)The Attempt at a Solution i used the cross product to get i j and k tried sin and cos of vectors but didnt work. inverse tan of vectors won't give...
  13. S

    Determining magnitude and direction of vectors

    Homework Statement Determine the magnitude and direction θ of F1 so that the resultant force is directed vertically upward and has a magnitude of 800N. Homework Equations F1=FR-F2-F3 The Attempt at a Solution I have attached the question with diagram and my attempt at solving the...
  14. S

    How to find magnitude of Q1 and Q2?

    Homework Statement Two point charges, Q1 and Q2 are 6m apart. The electric field intensity a point A, midway between the two charges is 5 N/C directed toward Q2, and the potential at the same point is 45V. Find: a) the magnitude of Q1 b) the magnitude of Q2 Homework Equations...
  15. F

    Magnitude of a velocity vector with special relativity

    Hi, I'm trying to get my head around how velocity vectors work in special relativity. For example, in classical mechanics, the magnitude of the velocity would be given by: v^2 = \sqrt{v_x^2 + v_y^2 + v_z^2} where v_x, v_y and v_z are the x, y and z components of the velocity...
  16. C

    Magnitude of directional and gradient vectors?

    If given only: f(5,2) = 80 fx(5,2) = 8 fy(5,2) = -6 Suppose 80 is measured in degrees Fahrenheit. Find the direction where the temperature would get cooler. I just did 8a - 6b = 0 (since using the dot product, <8,-6> * <a,b> = 0. Then I solved for a, b, and this was the vector equation. Then...
  17. S

    Calculating E Field Magnitude: Contributions from + and - Charges 5cm Above Axis

    Homework Statement What is the magnitude of the collective contribution to the E field at the origin from both the + and - charges located 5 cm above the horizontal axis? Homework Equations kQ/d^2 The Attempt at a Solution Im just having a problem setting up this problem. Could...
  18. K

    Why is the Electric Field Magnitude Zero in the Z Direction for an EM Wave?

    Hello All, I am a masters student in electronics engg and reading technical electrodynamics. Please let me know why the magnitude of the electric field is zero in the z direction if we consider a wave propagating in the +ve z direction. Mathematically, it is clear; however i would like to...
  19. N

    Magnitude of the current in a battery

    Homework Statement Find the magnitude of the current in the 14V cell. Answer in units of Amperes. Homework Equations Kirchoff's junction & loop laws: I1 = I2 + I3 ƩΔV = 0 V = IR Rseries = R1 + R2 + ... 1/Rparallel = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + ... The Attempt at a Solution At...
  20. E

    Magnitude of total electrostatic force on a third particle ?

    Homework Statement A particle with charge −8 μC is located on the x-axis at the point 8 cm, and a second particle with charge −6 μC is placed on the x-axis at −6 cm. What is the magnitude of the total electrostatic force on a third particle with charge −4 μC placed on the x-axis at −2...
  21. C

    Magnitude of an electric field

    1. A force of 14 N exists on charge q, which is 2.1E-9 C. What is the magnitude of the electric field? [b]2. Relevant equation is E=Kq'/r^2 [b]3. I attempted using the equation above but the question doesn't include any distance. Is there another equation I should use?
  22. F

    Magnitude of force between blocks

    Homework Statement The last question on this page(#44): http://dacc.edu/~ksturgeon/106c5webpage.pdf I haven't had any problems with any homework till now so I'm hoping for a little guidance here. I guess my main issue is I don't understand what it means by magnitude of force. Because it seems...
  23. M

    Finding the Angle Between Two Vectors with Equal Magnitudes

    Homework Statement Vectors A and B have equal magnitudes of 10.0. If the sum of A and B is the vector 3.13j , determine the angle between A and B Homework Equations none The Attempt at a Solution I gave both A and B the length r=10 I don't know how to add them together if I don't...
  24. K

    Magnitude of object with constant speed

    Homework Statement in the physics laboratory experiment, a 6 kg box is pushed across a flat table by horizontal force F. if the box is moving at a constant speed of 0.35 m/s and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.12. what is the magnitude of F. Homework Equations F=μ*Fn where F...
  25. Z

    Magnitude and Phase of Transfer Function

    Homework Statement I am given the transfer function H(s) = 10/(s(s^2 + 80s +400)) where s = jω [j is the imaginary unit i] and I am trying to get it into its magnitude and phase components. The Attempt at a Solution I rearranged it to 1/(40jω(1+ 4jω/20 + (jω/20)^2)) which is the standard...
  26. A

    Magnitude of electric field in an area of changing magnetic field

    Homework Statement A cylinder of radius R has a uniform, time varying mag. field B, (dB/dt < 0). magnitude of electric field at a point P at a distance r (<R) is: a) decreasing with r b) increrasing with r c) not varying with r d) varying as r^-2 Homework Equations The...
  27. V

    How do we calculate the magnitude of a system with binary stars?

    How do we calculate the magnitude of a system composed by some binary systems of stars?
  28. S

    E Field Magnitude at Origin due to Single Charge 5cm Above

    Homework Statement What is the magnitude of the E field at the origin due to a single charge (either the + or the -) located 5 cm above the horizontal axis? Homework Equations KQ/D^2 The Attempt at a Solution in an earlier question it asked What is the direction and magnitude of...
  29. Z

    Magnitude of an electric field at two points

    Homework Statement Compare the magnitude of the electric field at position A with the magnitude of the electric field at position B. A) E-Field Magnitude at Point A > E-Field Magnitude at Point B B) E-Field Magnitude at Point A = E-Field Magnitude at Point B C) E-Field Magnitude at Point...
  30. L

    Three approaches to magnitude of average velocity

    Is there such a thing as magnitude of average velocity? If so, is it one of these? Suppose I have to position vectors. \stackrel{\rightarrow}{r}= 1_x + 2.2_y and \stackrel{\rightarrow}{r}_2 = 2_x + 0_y And the distance between the vectors is Δ\stackrel{\rightarrow}{r}=...
  31. M

    What is the magnitude of the dipole's electric field at point P?

    Homework Statement Homework Equations Included in my work.The Attempt at a Solution Final Answer = 5.04E-18 I'm not sure where I went wrong.
  32. C

    Electric Field Magnitude b/w Capacitor Plates

    Electric field magnitude between capacitor plates independent of distance? [SOLVED] The electric field of a point charge Q is defined as E=\frac{F}{q}=\frac{\frac{1}{4\pi \varepsilon _{0}}\frac{Qq}{r^{2}}}{q}=\frac{1}{4\pi \varepsilon _{0}}\frac{Q}{r^{2}} where q is the test charge. The...
  33. E

    Magnitude of Complex Exponential Polynomial Inequality

    Homework Statement Digital filter analysis - this is just one part of a multi-part question I can't move forward with. It's supposed to be an auxilliary question and isn't the "meat" of the problem. Find b, such that maximum of the magnitude of the frequency response function...
  34. T

    Special relativity and magnitude and direction of velocity

    Homework Statement In the inertial system S, an event is observed to take place at point A on the x-axis and 10^-6 seconds later another event takes place at point B , 900 m further down. Find the magnitude and direction of velocity of S' with respect to S in which these two events appear...
  35. J

    How to calculate vector angles and magnitude

    Ok I am a little stuck and really need some help as I am pretty new with physics...im not sure if this question is really simple or if i need a little algebra to help find the answer. Q : 10 units, 30 degrees counterclockwise from the positive side of the x-axis :25 units, 45...
  36. T

    How Does Potential Difference Affect Potential Energy in a Lightning Bolt?

    Homework Statement The potential difference between a storm cloud and the ground is 2.13 × 10 8 V. If a bolt carrying 5 C falls from a cloud to Earth, what is the magnitude of the change of potential energy of the charge? Answer in units of J Homework Equations 2.13*108 C=5...
  37. M

    Find the order of magnitude of the electrostatic force

    Homework Statement Two engineering students, John with a mass of 90 kg and Mary with a mass of 45 kg, are 30 m apart. Suppose each has a 0.01% imbalance in the amount of positive and negative charge, with one student being positive and the other negative. Find the order of magnitude of the...
  38. S

    Magnitude of gravitational acceleration at distance r

    Homework Statement Find an expression for the ratio g(r)/g(RE) of the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration at a distance r from the centre of the Earth to that at the surface of the Earth, for r > RE, i.e. for points above the surface of the Earth. Homework Equations F(grav) = -Gm1m2 /...
  39. C

    Calculate Magnitude of Force to Push 10 kg Object 11m, Speed 2 to 5.2 m/s

    Homework Statement "A force was used to push a 10 kg object through a distance of 11 metres. Its speed was initially 2 m/s, and was increased to 5.2 m/s at the end of the 11 metres. What was the magnitude of the force?" Homework Equations Ek = 1/2 mv^2 W = fd? The Attempt at a...
  40. teroenza

    Magnitude of Complex voltage vs Real Part

    Homework Statement I have been asked to plot the "magnitude" of a function for V_out of a circuit. It has an imaginary component. I know I need to plot the physical, real portion. But I do not understand if this means the magnitude (modulus) of this complex function, or just the real part. The...
  41. X

    Astrophysics: Finding flux of a star given magnitude

    Homework Statement The faintest stars a naked eye can see under the ideal conditions are of m = 6 magnitude. Diameter of a maximally dilated pupil is d = 9mm. Calculate the magnitude of the faintest star a person can see if observing through binoculars (d = 5cm), a large backyard...
  42. T

    Using Triangle Inequality to find a magnitude

    Homework Statement Let a, x, and y be real numbers and let E > 0. Suppose that |x-a|< E and |y-a|< E. Use the Triangle Inequality to find an estimate for the magnitude |x-y|. Homework Equations The Triangle Inequality states that |a+b| <= |a| + |b| is valid for all real numbers a and...
  43. C

    Absolute Magnitude Calculation, How?

    Hello everyone, Glad to be a new member of this superb forum :) In one of my physics classes, I have to construct an H-R Diagram. Now, this does not seems too challenging, and I'm sure it isn't. I was wondering if someone could kindly guide me in the right direction without giving me an...
  44. R

    Determining the Magnitude & Reflection Coefficient at 10 GHz

    A radar of 10 GHz produces an electromagnetic plane wave. Conductance is 4 S/m and dielectric constant is 81. How do you ding the magnitude and reflection coefficient? Also the percent of the incident energy that is reflected?
  45. T

    How Do You Calculate the Magnitude of Vector C in Vector Subtraction?

    Homework Statement https://smart.physics.illinois.edu/images/phys101/Homework/02/vector.gif Two vectors A and B are shown in the x-y plane. Vector A has a magnitude of 5 m and makes an angle of 55° with the positive x-axis vector B has a magnitude of 2 m and makes an angle of 33° with the...
  46. K

    Magnitude of Displacement problem

    Homework Statement A room has dimensions 3.15 m (height) 3.85 (width) m 4.10 (length) m. A fly starting at one corner flies around, ending up at the diagonally opposite corner. (a) What is the magnitude of its displacement? (solved and got 6.45m) (b) Could the length of its path be less...
  47. Rapier

    How to Correctly Calculate Vector v Given Magnitude and Angle with u?

    Homework Statement Let u = <3,-1>. Find v such that ||v||=4 and the angle between the vectors is ∏/3. Homework Equations u.v = ||u|| ||v|| cos θ The Attempt at a Solution <3,-1>.v = (√10)(4) cos ∏/3 <3,-1>.v = 2√10 v = <(2√10)/3, (2√10)/-1> Can you please confirm that I am...
  48. B

    Magnitude and angle counterclockwise from the + x direction

    Homework Statement Express your answer in part (a) in terms of magnitude and angle counterclockwise from the + x direction. Vector = -25.3i-1.2j Homework Equations arctan(ady/adx) The Attempt at a Solution Arctan(-1.2/25.3)=2.72 This is wrong... but I have no idea how to fix it.
  49. A

    Finding the magnitude of the nearest peak and period

    Homework Statement Harmonic wave is described by: h(x,t)=cos(2∏(2x-t/2)). The equation is expressed as the height of the wave At time t0 a peak of the wave is at position X0. What is the magnitude of the distance to the nearest peak at this time? How much time passes before another peak is...
  50. C

    What is the magnitude of each fixed charge in coulombs?

    Homework Statement Four point charges, q, are fixed to the four corners of a square that is 13.1 cm on a side. An electron is suspended above a point at which its weight is balanced by the electrostatic force due to the four point charges, at a distance of 20 nm above the center of the square...
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