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Magnitude
In
science
,
magnitude
refers to the numerical size of something: see
orders of magnitude
.
In
mathematics
, the
magnitude
of an object is a non-negative
real number
, which in simple terms is its length.
In
astronomy
,
magnitude
refers to the logarithmic measure of the brightness of an object, measured in a specific
wavelength
or passband, usually in optical or near-infrared wavelengths: see
apparent magnitude
and
absolute magnitude
.
In
Seismology
, the
magnitude
is a logarithmic measure of the energy released during an
earthquake
. See
Richter scale
and
moment magnitude scale
.
Last updated: 07-30-2005 18:07:49
Last updated: 09-12-2005 02:39:13