Order of Magnitude - Free Science Lessons

Key Concepts

• Order of Magnitude:
  • A way to compare the approximate sizes of different objects.
  • Represents the scale or size of an object in powers of ten.
  • Each order of magnitude is ten times greater than the previous one.

Examples

1. Apple and Orange:

   • Both are approximately the same size.
   • Considered the same order of magnitude.

2. Pineapple and Lemon:

   • Pineapple is about 10 times larger than a lemon.
   • Pineapple is one order of magnitude larger than the lemon.

3. Dog and Woodlouse:

   • Dog is roughly 100 times longer than a woodlouse.
   • Dog is two orders of magnitude longer than the woodlouse.

Calculation Method

• Counting Zeros:
  • 10 times = 1 order of magnitude
  • 100 times = 2 orders of magnitude
  • 1000 times = 3 orders of magnitude

Practice Question

• Problem: A fox is 40 cm long. A tick is 0.4 cm long. How many orders of magnitude is the fox longer than the tick?
  • Solution:
    1. Calculate the ratio: 40 cm / 0.4 cm = 100 times.
    2. Count the zeros in 100 (two zeros): Therefore, the fox is two orders of magnitude longer than the tick.

Conclusion

• Understand and describe the concept of order of magnitude.
• Ability to perform order of magnitude calculations.

Additional Resources

• Find more practice questions on orders of magnitude in the revision workbook available via the provided link.