What is an order of magnitude?
Q: What is an order of magnitude?
A: 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.
Q: How can orders of magnitude be used?
A: Orders of magnitude are generally used to make very approximate comparisons. It is mainly used while doing scientific notation.
Q: What does it mean when two numbers have the same order of magnitude?
A: If two numbers have the same order of magnitude, they are about the same size.
Q: What does it mean if two numbers differ by one order of magnitude?
A: If two numbers differ by one order of magnitude, one is about ten times larger than the other.
Q: What does it mean if two numbers differ by two orders or more?
A: If they differ by two orders or more, they differ by a factor greater than 100.
Q: How can you compare something like an orange's surface area with that of Earth's surface area using orders or magnitudes?
A: When comparing something like an orange's surface area with that Earth's surface area using orders or magnitudes, you would say that Earth's surface area is many orders or magnitudes larger than that on an orange.
