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).

View More On Wikipedia.org
Recent contents Top users
  1. StevieTNZ

    Magnitude 6.5 Quake - Indonesia

    -- https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/99920962/magnitude65-earthquake-hits-off-the-coast-of-java I am sure Dave will have a recording of this quake on his instruments
  2. Z

    Magnitude of the transfer function

    Hi all, In one of my problems there is a question with a plot of the transfer function magnitude versus frequency. In the graph I notice that the magnitude of the transfer function is greater than 1. This is confusing as I thought that filters are not able to increase the magnitude of the output...
  3. S

    Electrostatics? Magnitude and direction of a magnetic field

    Homework Statement A force of 2.4N is exerted on a -1.8µC charge in a downward direction. What is the magnitude and direction of the magnetic field at this point? (The assignment sheet is called "Electrostatics Questions", hence the "Electrostatics?" in the title) Homework Equations Electric...
  4. SirChris93

    Find the time when the spring force reaches max magnitude

    Homework Statement Show how you use calculus to find the time when the magnitude of the Spring Force reaches its maximum. Then, when you found that time show how you calculate the Spring force at that time as well. m = 1.125kg vi = .8 m/s k = 2250 N/m x = 0m Homework Equations Fs (t) = [-mvi...
  5. R

    Direction & magnitude of normal stress

    Homework Statement For the state of stress shown in the figure, normal stress acting on the plane of maximum shear stress is? Homework Equations Normal stress σn = σcos2θ 3. The Attempt at a Solution Plane of maximum shear stress is 45o relative to the max stress of 100MPa. So the total...
  6. P

    Find the magnitude of the electromagnetic force on electron?

    Homework Statement In a certain region of space, there is a uniform electric field, E = 4.28 x 104 V/m directed due east, and a uniform magnetic field B = 0.071 T, also directed due east. What is the magnitude of the electromagnetic force on an electron moving due south with a velocity of 3.09...
  7. M

    B Apparent magnitude / absolute magnitude / luminosity

    Hello, When we talk about the luminosity, apparent magnitude or absolute magnitude of a star, are we talking about all wavelengths of EM radiation or just a certain range? I've read that luminosity is basically the power output of all types of radiation, but the apparent magnitude scale is...
  8. A

    Finding x and y components of a magnitude

    Homework Statement I basically want to find the x and y component of a given magnitude of 1.96 N. I am given some other information such as mass and direction. Since the direction of the vector b is upwards, towards the 90-degree direction, then the y-component will also be equal to the...
  9. D

    Magnitude of the Electric Field at the Following Distances

    Homework Statement The figure below shows a spherical shell with uniform volume charge density ρ = 1.87 nC/m3, inner radius a = 15.0 cm, and outer radius b = 2.60a. [Reference Picture] What is the magnitude of the electric field at the following radial distances? Homework Equations...
  10. Muthumanimaran

    Finding the magnitude of the force

    Homework Statement A force F is applied on the bigger mass 'M', which results in the prevention of smaller masses M1 and M2 moving with respect to larger mass M. The mass 'M' slides smoothly on the frictionless surface. Find the magnitude of the force. The pulley is ideal also consider the...
  11. Poetria

    How Do You Calculate the Magnitude of Acceleration in an Elevator?

    Homework Statement A person is standing on an elevator initially at rest at the first floor of a high building. The elevator then begins to ascend to the sixth floor, which is a known distance h above the starting point. A plot of the acceleration as a function of time is shown in the figure...
  12. L

    Magnitude of the induced magnetic field in a circuit

    Homework Statement The circuit in Fig. 32-31 consists of switch S, a 12.0 V ideal battery, a 20.0 M resistor, and an air-filled capacitor. The capacitor has parallel circular plates of radius 5.00 cm, separated by 3.00mm. At time t=0, switch S is closed to begin charging the capacitor. The...
  13. R

    Magnitude of electric field at point A using components

    Homework Statement https://imgur.com/gallery/YwCap In side are image of figure, and questions.Homework Equations E = kq/r^2 The Attempt at a Solution So I have an electric field where the y compontents cancel. I have 2Ecos(∂) = E (Electric field at point A) - 2 because there is a top and...
  14. K

    Adding Vectors-Calculating Magnitude and Location

    Homework Statement Homework Equations Pythagorean Theorem? The Attempt at a Solution I know you have to add the vectors to get the location. like (3,x) +(-5,-12), but I'm stuck from there. The last bit has no coordinates (x,0). For the first vector do I need to use Pythagorean theorem to...
  15. Z

    Coulomb's force - magnitude of the electric force

    Homework Statement Show that the magnitude of the electric force on each ball is given by Fe = mgtanθ/ (cosα+ sinαtanθ) where θ = arcsin(x2/L) α = arcsin((y2-y1)/r) r = √((x2-x1)^2+(y2-y1)^2) This is a question from my coulomb's law lab, where 2 styrofoam balls where charged, one was hung on a...
  16. R

    Rank the cases from greatest to smallest in order of magnitude

    Homework Statement http://imgur.com/PUrHBaa Question 13 in the middle of the page. Each case in the figure shows an example of force vectors exerted on an object. These forces are all of the same magnitude F_o. Assume the forces lie in the plane of the paper. Rank the cases from greatest to...
  17. R

    Find magnitude of car's acceleration

    Homework Statement While strolling downtown on a Saturday afternoon you stumble across an old car show. As you are walking along an alley toward a main street, you glimpse a particularly stylish Alpha Romero pass by. Tall buildings on either side of the alley obscure your view, so you see the...
  18. Kaura

    Solve F2 Components & Find Magnitudes U & V Axes

    Homework Statement Resolve F2 into components along the u and v axes and determine the magnitudes of these components. Note that the magnitudes are positive numbers. Homework Equations Basic Trigonometrics The Attempt at a Solution I correctly calculated 150cos(150)N or 130N as the...
  19. A

    Finding magnitude and angle of Fnet (Concept question)

    Homework Statement Hello, I can find the magnitude of Fnet from free body diagrams or from addition of vectors. My issue however is how do I know when to subtract the angle I found with the corner angle? I've attached two questions and the answers to them. In the first question, the angle...
  20. S

    Can a vector with zero magnitude have certain direction?

    Let say a car move with constant speed to the right. Can I say the acceleration is zero and is directed to the right? Or we can not assign certain direction to a zero-magnitude vector because I can also say that the car has zero backward acceleration (directed to left)? Thanks
  21. C

    Magnitude of force on charged particle

    Homework Statement Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution I know the equation of force on a moving charge in a magnetic field is F=BqV... Why is the answer A ?
  22. P

    Magnitude and Direction of the Force on a Charge

    Homework Statement What is the force F (a vector) on the -10 nC charge in the figure? Give your answer as a magnitude and an angle measured cw or ccw (specify which) from the +x-axis. The figure shown is in the shape of a rectangle. On the top left is a +15 nC charge; on the top right is a...
  23. R

    Magnitude of the electric field

    Homework Statement http://imgur.com/a/g5acE # 34 A plastic rod of length L = .24 cm is uniformly charged with a total charge of 12 x 10^-6 C. The rod is formed into a semi circle with its center at the origin of the xy plane. What are the magnitude and direction of the electric field at the...
  24. jlmccart03

    Finding the magnitude of electric field

    Homework Statement A uniform electric field exists in the region between two oppositely charged parallel plates 1.59 cmapart. A proton is released from rest at the surface of the positively charged plate and strikes the surface of the opposite plate in a time interval 1.50×10−6 s . Find the...
  25. Evo

    5.8 Magnitude earthquake hits Montana

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/07/06/montana-earthquake-5-8-magnitude-earthquake-felt-in-region.html
  26. Eram Ahmed

    How to find the magnitude of Force from an A vs Mass Graph

    Homework Statement I have attached the graph which displays Acceleration vs Mass. It shows the acceleration of objects of different mass that experience the same force. I need to get the magnitude of the force from this. Homework Equations F= ma The Attempt at a Solution I used F=ma for...
  27. Rotnort

    Magnitude of Frictional Force in Simple Harmonic Motion

    Homework Statement I do not fully grasp the concept behind all of these sub questions (i)-(iv). Homework Equations v=wAcos(wt) (SMH)? Friction Force = Coefficient of Friction * Normal Force The Attempt at a Solution (i) Varying as simple harmonic motion sees varying acceleration as it...
  28. S

    Finding the magnitude of velocity vector

    Homework Statement A cricketer throws a 147g ball by exerting a force of 7.5N for 0.84s. If the launch angle is 39 degrees from horizontal, calculate the range of the ball. Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution I have the range equation and I just need to find the magnitude of the...
  29. Jussi Lundahl

    Solving for Magnitude of Sirius (-1.5) Through Triple Window

    Homework Statement Stars are observed through a triple window. Each surface reflects away 15% of the incident light. a) What is the magnitude of Sirius (m = -1.5) seen through the window? And I know that the solution is -0,97. Homework Equations m1-m2=-2,5*log10*(F1/F2) The Attempt at a...
  30. R

    Finding the average magnitude of the drag force

    Homework Statement A saucer of mass 1.75x10^9 enters 1.the gravitational field of PlanetX and enters its atmosphere; the gravitational field of the planet is 10.6 m/s2 and is considered uniform throughout the 80-km thick atmosphere. If the saucer enters the atmosphere at 460 m/s and slows...
  31. mkematt96

    Finding Magnitude of complex number expression

    Homework Statement We are given Z, and are asked to find the magnitude of the expression. See attached picture(s) Homework Equations See attached pictures(s) The Attempt at a Solution When I solved it on the exam, I did it the long way using De Moivre's theorem. I ended up making a few sign...
  32. Nairb

    How to find the magnitude of the acceleration given F, kF, m

    <Moved from a technical forum and therefore no template.> A block is pushed up a 30 incline by an applied force as shown. If F = 50 N and m = 4.41 kg and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.4. What is the magnitude of the resulting acceleration on the block? This is what I did but it's...
  33. P

    Finding magnitude of two charge given midpoint

    Homework Statement Two positive point charges, A and B are 6m apart. The electric field intensity at point C, midway between the two charges is 5 N/C directed towards B and the potential at the same point is 45V. Find the magnitude of A and the magnitude of B. Homework Equations E = kQ/r2 The...
  34. Unteroffizier

    Find Absolute Magnitude, distance and "T" of binary star system

    This is the problem given at my basic astronomy course. If I turn it in within a month correctly, I get 10 extra points in the finals. Problem: We have binary star system consisting of Star A and Star B. Astronomers have observed it for 11 years, during which it has moved from point A to point...
  35. J

    Magnitude of net Gravitational Force

    Homework Statement a) What is the magnitude of the net gravitational force on the m2=10kg mass? Assume m1=20kg and m3=15kg. b) What is the direction of the net gravitational force on the m2=10kg mass? Assume m1=20kg and m3=15kg. Homework Equations F = G*m2*m3/R^2 The Attempt at a Solution M2...
  36. S

    Magnetic flux - magnitude of the change

    Homework Statement A 200-loop coil of cross sectional area 8.5 cm2 lies in the plane of the page. An external magnetic field of 0.060 T is directed out of the plane of the page. The external field decreases to 0.020 T in 12 milliseconds. (a) What is the magnitude of the change in the external...
  37. Cocoleia

    Asymptotic magnitude Bode plot for a network function

    Homework Statement I am working on the following problem: The Attempt at a Solution I have the solutions, I just don't understand: I know that the pole should be the root of the denominator? but in all the examples I was given they used s and not jw, so what is the variable in the network...
  38. D

    Magnitude of force of a disk on a circular track

    Homework Statement A small disc, radius r and mass m = 7.9 g, rolls on its edge. The friction with the track is enough to prevent slipping. When released, it rolls down the track (sketch) and reaches a circular section with radius R = 5.1 cm, which is very much greater than r. The initial...
  39. S

    Finding magnitude and direction of reaction force

    Homework Statement A uniform horizontal rod of mass 4 kg and length 500 mm, is hinged at the left hand side and supported at rest by a chain (S) attached 10 cm from the hinge. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the reaction force on the rod at the hinge. State the principle you have...
  40. S

    What is the magnitude of the electric field (rod)?

    Homework Statement Two thin glass rods are placed side by side 4.70 cm apart as shown in the diagram below. They are each 11.3 cm long and are uniformly charged to +10.4 nC . Answer the questions below regarding the electric field along a line which is drawn through the middle of the two glass...
  41. S

    What is the magnitude & direction of the eletric field?

    Homework Statement Two +3.0nC charges are shown in the diagram below which are spaced 10cm apart. What are the strength and direction of the electric field at the position indicated by the dot in the figure (Figure 1) ? What is the electric field in N/C? What is the direction of the electric...
  42. Mike J

    Compare 2 mechanical shock scenarios with different magnitude and time

    For example, How does one compare 100 g's for 6 milliseconds to 45 g's for 11 milliseconds. These are two different shock scenarios with different magnitudes and times, so how can I compare them? If I have something that is shock rated at 100 g's for 6 ms does this imply that it will withstand...
  43. smad0002

    Calculate the magnitude of torque due to friction

    Homework Statement A rotating flywheel slows down only because of friction in its bearings. At the initial time ti, the angular speed of the flywheel is 2.0 rad/s. The power due to friction at a later time tf is half of the power due to friction at time ti. The angular displacement of the...
  44. Vitani11

    Bra ket notation for magnitude of two vectors

    Homework Statement If I had two vectors say ⟨em|f⟩⟨f|em⟩ does this equal |⟨em|f⟩|2? e is a basis and f is some arbitrary function. I ask this because I have a problem which is to show the following: Show that for the Fourier expansion of |f⟩ in terms of Fourier basis vectors |em⟩ is...
  45. D

    MHB Does the magnitude of covariance have any real meaning?

    The title of the question may not be clear. But that is the real difficulty I am facing. I am not able to understand logic behind coming up with this formula for covariance. We know that the sample covariance formula is:- cov(x,y)=\frac{\sum(x_i - \bar{x})(y_i - \bar{y})}{n-1} I am not able...
  46. V

    Find the Magnitude of Theta to Maximize Volume of a Cone

    Homework Statement A sector with central angle θ is cut from a circle of radius R = 6 inches, and the edges of the sector are brought together to form a cone. Find the magnitude of θ such that the volume of the cone is a maximum. Homework Equations Volume of a Cone = ⅓ * π * r2 * h Area of a...
  47. R

    Magnitude of tenstion required to get chest moving.

    Homework Statement A filled treasure chest (Mass = 375 kg) with a long rope tied along its center lies in the middle of a room. Dirk wishes to drag the chest, but there is friction between the chest and the floor, with the coeffecient of static friction = .52 If the angle between the rope and...
  48. P

    What is the value of I3 for the given line integral and values of I2 and B?

    Homework Statement The value of the line integral around the closed path in the figure is 1.79×10−5 Tm . https://session.masteringphysics.com/problemAsset/1385538/4/32-22.jpg There is I2 and I3 inside the closed loop. I2 = 12 A What is I3? Homework Equations Amphere's Law: B = Uo I(enclosed)...
  49. F

    Magnitude of charge with common Transparent tape

    Homework Statement a) Common transparent tape becomes charged when pulled from a dispenser. If one piece is placed above another, the repulsive force can be great enough to support the top piece’s weight. Assuming equal point charges (only an approximation), calculate the magnitude of the...
  50. F

    Finding magnitude and direction of an electric field

    Homework Statement A spaceship encounters a single plane of charged particles, with the charge per unit area equal to σ. The electric field a short distance above the plane has magnitude _____ and is directed _____ to the plane. a) σ/2∈0, parallel b) σ/2∈0, perpendicular c) σ/∈0, parallel...
Back
Top