Magnitude

Magnitude may refer to:

In mathematics:

  • Magnitude (mathematics), the relative size of an object
  • Magnitude (vector), a term for the size or length of a vector
  • Scalar (mathematics), a quantity defined only by its magnitude
  • Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction
  • Order of magnitude, the class of scale having a fixed value ratio to the preceding class

In astronomy:

  • Magnitude (astronomy), a measure of brightness and brightness differences used in astronomy
    • Apparent magnitude, the apparent brightness of a celestial object as observed from Earth
    • Absolute magnitude, the brightness of a celestial object corrected to a standard luminosity distance
    • Photographic magnitude, the brightness of a celestial object corrected for photographic sensitivity, symbol mpg
  • Magnitude of eclipse or geometric magnitude, the size of the eclipsed part of the Sun during a solar eclipse or the Moon during a lunar eclipse

As an earthquake unit of measure:

  • Richter magnitude scale, a measure of the energy of an earthquake
  • Moment magnitude scale, an alternative to the Richter scale for measuring earthquakes
  • Surface wave magnitude

In popular culture:

  • Magnitude (Community), a recurring character from the television series Community

Famous quotes containing the word magnitude:

    “War is pillage versus resistance and if illusions of magnitude could be transmuted into ideals of magnanimity, peace might be realized.”
    —Marianne Moore (1887–1972)

    “Although a man may lose a sense of his own importance when he is a mere unit among a busy throng, all utterly regardless of him, it by no means follows that he can dispossess himself, with equal facility, of a very strong sense of the importance and magnitude of his cares.”
    —Charles Dickens (1812–1870)

    “Government is either organized benevolence or organized madness; its peculiar magnitude permits no shading.”
    —John Updike (b. 1932)