What is magnitude?
GeneralClass 10CBSEAnswered 25 May 2026
Answer
Magnitude means the size or amount of something, without regard to direction.
In everyday language it just means "how big" an earthquake of magnitude 7 is larger than magnitude 5.
In mathematics and physics, some quantities have both size and direction — these are called vectors (e.g., velocity: "60 km/h heading north"). The magnitude of that velocity is simply 60 km/h the direction is removed. Magnitude is always a positive number or zero.
Calculating magnitude: for a 2D vector with components (x, y):
Magnitude = √(x² + y²) This is simply the Pythagorean theorem applied to the vector's components.
Examples:
- Magnitude of a force vector → how strong the force is
- Magnitude of a displacement vector → how far something moved (distance, not direction)
- In astronomy, magnitude = brightness of a star (higher magnitude = dimmer star a historical convention)
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