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. S

    Determine the magnitude of its radial acceleration for ball

    < Mentor Note -- Thread moved from the General Physics forum to HH > A ball swings counterclockwise in a vertical circle at the end of a rope 1.50 m long. When the ball is 36.9 degrees past the lowest point on its way up, its total acceleration is (-22.5i + 20.2j) m/s^2. For that instant, (a)...
  2. A

    Magnitude & Direction of Electric field

    What are the magnitude and direction of the electric field that will balance the weight of (a) an electron and (b) a proton? Please I am getting confused in this question. I want help with complete explanation. Thanks in advance. How will it done..?
  3. L

    Magnitude of the electric field between the plates

    A uniform electric field exists between two oppositely charged parallel plates connected to a 13.0V battery. The plates are separated by 7.00x10-4 m.a) Determine the magnitude of the electric field between the plates b) If a charge of -4.29x10-6 C moves from one plate to another, calculate the...
  4. H

    Determine the magnitude and direction of the effective value of g

    Homework Statement [/B] Determine the magnitude and direction of the effective value of g at a latitude of 45 degrees on the Earth. Assume the Earth is a rotating sphere. Homework Equations a = v2/r The Attempt at a Solution This question requires a vector diagram no doubt. What I know is...
  5. S

    Finding X and Y components of a vector of magnitude

    1. A- What are the x and y components of a vector of magnitude 25m/s and direction of 45 degrees? B- What are the x and y components of a vector of magnitude 75N and a direction of 60 degrees.2. Are these the formulas you use? Vx=(R)Cos0 Vy=(R)Sin03. help please
  6. davenn

    Magnitude 6.1 quake SE of New Calidonia (Loyalty Isl reg)

    Hi guys Been a little tied up to post this earlier latest respectable event I have recorded Time: 2014-11-10 10:04:21 UTC Location: 22.775°S 171.445°E Depth: 10.0km cheers Dave
  7. S

    Flux --> Apparent magnitude ( only 1 source )

    Hi guys, I've seen a lot of textbooks converting between 2 apparent magnitudes to the ratio of 2 fluxes. But I just want to know how to convert 1 ( ONE, UNO , 1, NOT 2 ) flux to 1 ( ONE, UNO, 1, NOT 2 ) 1 Apparent Magnitude. I think I saw my professor wrote this down, but am not sure . Is this...
  8. S

    Ranking the Magnitude of forces

    Homework Statement Rank the magnitude of Fn, Fg and Ff of a suitcase sliding down a slope at a constant speed Homework Equations I'm not really sure about this but I am guessing The Attempt at a Solution So if it's going down the slope at a constant speed then the sum of all forces is 0. so...
  9. M

    Calculating magnitude of total force (N)

    Homework Statement You are given 3 charges (q1,q2,q3) q1 has a magnitude (charge) of 7, q2 has a magnitude (charge) of -5, q3 has a magnitude (charge) of 3. q1 has 2d co ordinates (3, 4), q2 has a 2d co ordinates (5, 9), q3 has a 2d co ordinates (7, 8). For q1, q2 and q3 calculate the total...
  10. E

    What is the magnitude of acceleration for a block released up an inclined plane?

    Homework Statement 1st example: A 10 kg block is pushed up a ramp at a constant speed of 5.7 m/s. The ramp makes an angle of 30 degrees to the horizontal and the ramp is frictionless. The block is released and allowed to slide up the ramp until it stops. What is the magnitude of the...
  11. M

    Magnitude, 2D co-ordinates and Coulomb's Law

    Homework Statement How do you calculate compute the the magnitude of the total force of three charges and also the angle it makes with the x-axis? Knowing the magnitude and also the 2d co ordinates of the charges. (x1,y1) (x2,y2) (x3,y3) I know for definite I use the below calculation but...
  12. M

    Coulomb's Law formula help

    How do you calculate compute the the magnitude of the total force of three charges and also the angle it makes with the x-axis? Knowing the magnitude and also the 2d co ordinates of the charges. I have deliberately not given any specific values because this is not homework its a question from...
  13. J

    Magnitude of a magnetic field a a point

    A point charge Q moves on the x-axis in the positive direction with a speed of 450 m/s. A point P is on the y-axis at y = +70 mm. The magnetic field produced at point P, as the charge moves through the origin, is equal to -0.8 μT k^. When the charge is at x = +40 mm, what is the magnitude of the...
  14. D

    MHB Plot 3D phase and magnitude plots

    How would I plot a 3D phase and magnitude plot for the function \(z^{1/3}\) in Matlab? n = 3; % number of roots m = 18; % grid number r = (0:m)'/m; % radius vector theta = pi*(-n*m:n*m)/m; % angle vector z =...
  15. C

    [Physics Honors] Finding magnitude

    Homework Statement A 60 N block sits on a ramp slanted at 30 degree. A horizontal force is applied to the block to prevent it from moving. What is the magnitude of the force? Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution I found the normal force to be 51.96 N (checked it with the answer) and...
  16. K

    Intro physics question involving magnitudes and vectors

    You’re hanging from a chinning bar, with your ;arms at right angles to each other. The magnitudes of the forces exerted by both your arms are the same, and together they exert just enough upward force to support your weight, 620 N. (a) Sketch the two force vectors for your arms, along with their...
  17. PhysicsHelp152

    Magnitude of a ball's Acceleration

    Homework Statement A 0.17-kg cue ball rests on the pool table. It's struck by a cue stick applying force F1→ = 13Ni^+21Nj^ Determine the magnitude of the ball's acceleration. Homework Equations ax = Fnet, x / m ay = Fnet, y / m a = Fnet / m The Attempt at a Solution Components of...
  18. R

    Find the magnitude of charge stored in the entire network

    Problem: In the circuit shown in the figure below, the capacitors C1 and C2 have a capacitance of 45µF. C3 and C4 have a capacitance of 90µF. The two terminals A and B on the left have a potential difference of 25V (Sorry - had to quickly draw it, could not save/find image) (a) Find the...
  19. C

    Determine the Magnitude of the instantaneous Velocity

    Homework Statement Determine the Magnitude of the instantaneous velocity at T=5s Function is x=AT^2 + B A=2.1m/s^2 B=2.8 M Homework Equations The previous questions answered on this problem are: AVG Velocity is 16.8 Displacement is 33.6 from 3s to 5s The Attempt at a Solution I'm not sure how...
  20. J

    How Do You Calculate the Magnitude of a 4-Vector?

    Hello there, Given any 4-vector ##x = (x_0,x_1,x_2,x_3)##, hvor do I compute its magnitude? I couldn't find a simple explanation online. For example I want to compute the magnitute of the momenergy 4-vector of a photon traveling in the positive x-direction where ##E## is the energy of the...
  21. A

    Magnitude of induced current

    A simple experiment of pushing magnet bar into solenoid & pulling it out from solenoid. If galvanometer is used to measure magnitude of induced current, galvanometer will show greater deflection when the bar magnet is pushed into the solenoid but the deflection will be less when the magnet is...
  22. Joa Boaz

    Find the electric field magnitude in each region.

    So far, this is what I have. Now I tried to make as a nice as I could but for some reason every time I attempted to save on a PDF file, I find some missing fonts. This one seems to be okay. But question is what am I to do with the rho outside of the cavity.
  23. Joa Boaz

    Finding the electric field magnitude in each region of a sphere

    Homework Statement A charged insulating spherical shell has winner radius of a/3 an an outer radius of a. The cross section is as shown on the picture. The outer shell has a non-constant volume charge density of ρ = 6*α*r^3. Find the electric field magnitude in each region (outside the...
  24. J

    Parallel plate conductors of opposing charge and unequal magnitude

    A question has occurred to me during preparation for a Physics exam. My textbook does a good job of discussing a capacitor charged equal but opposite. But I want to take it a step further. My question is how to calculate the E field between 2 plates of opposing charge that have unequal...
  25. N

    What is the Equation for Finding Vector Magnitude in 2D and 3D?

    Homework Statement Vx = 18 m/s and Vy = 45 m/s Homework Equations This is what I am not understanding, could anyone help with the equation process to finding the magnitude? Thank you!
  26. M

    Finding magnitude of force: given v,d,friction coef,mass.

    Homework Statement If the 50-kg crate starts from rest and achieves a velocity of v = 4m/s m/s when it travels a distance of 5 mm to the right, determine the magnitude of force acting on the crate. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the crate and the ground is = 0.3 The crate is...
  27. N

    Gauss' Law - find magnitude of the electric field

    A slab of insulating material has thickness 2d and is oriented so that its faces are parallel to the yz-plane and given by the planes x=d and x=−d. The y- and z-dimensions of the slab are very large compared to d and may be treated as essentially infinite. The slab has a uniform positive charge...
  28. R

    Magnitude of resultant of three force as small as possible

    Homework Statement determine the magnitude of the force F3, so that the resultant FR of the three force is as small as possible. F1= 20KN [E36.9N] F2= 12KN [S] F3= x KN [W45N] Homework Equations Fx= xcosθ Fy= xSinθ FR = F1 + F2 + F3 The Attempt at a Solution i used component...
  29. E

    Help me find the vector and resultant magnitude of this equation pleas

    I need help finding out the formulas for finding out the resultant magnitude and the resultant vector. Any help is welcome. Thanks
  30. L

    Magnitude of electric field 32m from a rod

    Homework Statement "A rod 55cm long and 1.0cm in radius carries a 4.4μC charge distributed uniformly over its length. What is the approximate magnitude of the electric field 4.0mm from the rod surface, not near either end? What is the approximate magnitude of the electric field 32m from the...
  31. P

    Magnitude of electric field with square loop

    Homework Statement The square loop shown below is made up of four identical wires of length scripted l = 18 cm each charged with a linear density λ = 18 nC/m. Find the magnitude of the electric field at a distance z = scripted l/2 above the center of the loop. Homework Equations...
  32. P

    Electric Field and Magnitude Problem

    Homework Statement Two identical point charges, q1 = +2.5 x 10-6 C and q2 = +2.5 x 10-6 C, are placed as shown in the diagram below. Point P is a distance 0.05 m from q1 and 0.12 m from q2, such that the angle at P is 90 degrees. Calculate the magnitude of the Electric field E at point...
  33. I

    MHB Magnitude and angle of vector sum

    help! find the magnitude of the resultant force and the angle it makes with the positive x-axis. i don't have any examples in my book like this one
  34. I

    MHB Find $\left| a-b \right|$: Vectors and Magnitude

    find $a+b, 2a+3b, \left| a \right|, \left| a-b \right|$ $a=\left\langle 5,-12 \right\rangle$ $b=\left\langle -3,-6 \right\rangle$ ive found all of them except the last one. how to do i find $\left| a-b \right|$
  35. N

    Magnitude of the electric force a hydrogen nucleus exerts on electron?

    Homework Statement What is the magnitude of the electric force a hydrogen nucleus exerts on its only orbiting electron in the Bohr model? The Attempt at a Solution Fe = kQq/r^2 Since there is one proton and one electron. Q and q are equal to each other: 1.6 x 10^-19. k = 9 x...
  36. O

    Electric Fields: Magnitude and Direction.

    Homework Statement Calculate the magnitude and direction of the electric field at point Z in Figure 13, due to the charged spheres at points X and Y. Homework Equations E = kq1/r^2 The Attempt at a Solution Determine each vector component: Ex = (9.0x10^9 Nm^2/C^2)(50.0 x...
  37. O

    Rotational motion magnitude question -- Rod mounted on a pivot

    I've attempted this problem several times and keep getting 14 rads as the answer but its not an available answer choice... any help would be greatly appreciated. The problem: A uniform rod (mass = 2.0 kg, length = 0.6 m) is free to rotate about a frictionless pivot at one end. The rod is...
  38. I

    Find magnitude of current of 2 wires separated by an angle

    Homework Statement A telegraph consisted of 2 long straight wires carrying currents equal in magnitude but oppositely directed. Each was suspended by a pair of light-weight and inelastic threads that were about 6cm long. When current flowed through the wires, the magnetic force exerted between...
  39. Z

    What is the magnitude of the electric field?

    Homework Statement Two charged particles are fixed on the x-axis 11 cm apart. The one on the left has a net charge of +25uc and the one on the right has a net charge of -11uc. What is the magnitude of the electric field 10 cm to the right of the negative charge? Homework Equations E =...
  40. P

    Help with Order of Magnitude Estimations and Dimensional Analysis

    Greetings, I'm attending a grad school in the fall whose Ph.D. comprehensive exams place a *huge* emphasis on order of magnitude estimations and dimensional analysis problems. I'm much better at problems that involve a little more mathematical playfulness and theory; I'm a little worried...
  41. B

    Why Does It Take 200 N to Slow Down a 10 kg Mass in Free Fall?

    If a 10 kg mass is in free fall (no air resistance), what force must be applied to slow the object down? (g = -10 m/s^2.) For this question, why is it 200 N and not 100 N? Wouldn't 100 N cancel out upward and downward forces and cancel them out?
  42. R

    Image Reconstruction:Phase vs. Magnitude

    Figure 1.(c) shows the Test image reconstructed from MAGNITUDE spectrum only. We can say that the intensity values of LOW frequency pixels are comparatively more than HIGH frequency pixels. Figure 1.(d) shows the Test image reconstructed from PHASE spectrum only. We can say that intensity...
  43. D

    Magnitude of EMF when the armature coil is in different positions?

    I am currently studying for a Magnetism and Electricity exam coming up. I was just wondering, within the topic of Electromagnetic induction; my textbook states that if an armature coil of some sort -either from an AC or DC generator was placed horizontally into a magnetic field that is also...
  44. AotrsCommander

    How to calculate absolute magnitude of a stellar body?

    I'm trying to find the appropriate formula (and abstractions to plug into it as necessary) to work out the absolute magnitude (from which I can dervive an apparent magnitude) of a solar body. I've found a lot of formula which relative absolute and apparent magnitude, but trying to find how to...
  45. D

    Apparent Magnitude: Understanding Star X's Brightness

    What does this statement mean: "Apparent magnitude of a star, X, is m." ? m_2 - m_1 = -2.5 log (B_2/B_1) Apparent magnitudes are defined relatively, right? We can talk about differences in apparent magnitudes. If i know the ratio of the brightnesses, i can find out the difference in...
  46. E

    What is the Effect of Electrical Charges on the Attraction Between Two Humans?

    Homework Statement Human tissue contains about 3*10^27 electrons per kg of material. Suppose two humans are located 1370 km apart and each has a mass of 60 kg. We now transfer 5*10^21 electrons from one person to the other. What will be the magnitude of the resulting attraction, rounded to the...
  47. M

    Electrostatics uniform electric field of magnitude

    An electron with speed 2.00×10^7m/s is traveling parallel to a uniform electric field of magnitude 1.16×10^4N/C . #1). How far will the electron travel before it stops? f=ma=Eq=-eE a=-eE/m I got a=-2.81x10^15 Then I used v(f)^2=v(i)^2+2a(x-x(i)) Solved for x... x=-(V(i))^2/2(a) x=.0712m #2)...
  48. M

    Determine the magnitude of the force on each charge

    1. The problem Two negative and two positive point charges (magnitude Q = 3.16mC ) are placed on opposite corners of a square (side lengths a = 0.105m ) #1. Determine the magnitude of the force on each charge. I GOT... F1,F2,F3,F4 =7.44x10^6N (which was marked correct) I am having...
  49. J

    Decelerating distance and magnitude of impulse of a car

    A 1,000kg car traveling with a velocity of +20.0meters per second decelerates uniformly at -5.00 meters per second per second until it comes to rest. What is the total distance the car travels as it decelerates to rest? What is the magnitude of the impulse applied to the car to bring it...
  50. BitWiz

    Is interstellar travel impossible due to kinetic energy magnitude?

    This has been bugging me. Several respected propulsion scientists at the 2008 Joint Propulsion Conference claimed that interstellar travel within a human lifetime was impossible. The KE of a rocket traveling at a significant fraction of c would be enormous via KE=0.5 * m * v^2 and that...
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