Order of magnitude

• Order of magnitude


  A way to compare the approximate size of different objects
• Objects around the same order of magnitude

  • Apple
  • Orange
• Pineapple compared to lemon

  Pineapple is around 10 times larger than the lemon
• One order of magnitude

  10 times greater
• Dog compared to woodlouse

  • Dog is around 100 times longer than the woodlouse
• Counting zeros to determine order of magnitude

  10 times = 1 order of magnitude

  100 times = 2 orders of magnitude

  1000 times = 3 orders of magnitude
• Calculating order of magnitude difference

  Divide the larger measurement by the smaller measurement

  2. Count the number of zeros to determine the order of magnitude