What is the meaning of magnitude in physics?

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The magnitude of a quantity refers to a number that indicates how large or small the measurement of the quantity is as compared to a given reference value (mostly taken to be zero).

Magnitude in physics is simply understood as “quantity or distance”.
It denotes the absolute or relative direction or size in which a particular object moves.
A Magnitude is a quantitative number whereas intensity describes the idea of an impact.
In physics, magnitude defines the size of an entity or an object’s speed when it is moving.
For example, if a car travels faster than an adjacent bike, the magnitude of the speed of the car is greater than the speed of the bike.
There are two types of quantity – vector quantity and scalar quantity. Magnitude is a common factor for both these quantities.

Magnitude in physics

In physics, the magnitude of a quantity gives us an idea of how large it is with respect to some reference value. In mathematics, a physical quantity is represented by a numerical value and a unit.

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Types of Vectors	Position Vector	Direction Cosines
Unit Vector	Negative of a Vector	Properties of vector addition
Properties of Scalar Product	Laws of Vector Addition	Addition of Vectors

CBSE CLASS XII Related Questions

1.
The figure shows three point charges kept at the vertices of triangle ABC. The net electric field, due to this system of charges, at the midpoint M of base BC will be:

\( \frac{q}{4 \pi \epsilon_0 l^2} \) pointing along MA
\( \frac{q}{\pi \epsilon_0 l^2} \) pointing along AM
\( \frac{q}{2 \pi \epsilon_0 l^2} \) pointing along AM
Zero

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2.
A square loop of side 0.50 m is placed in a uniform magnetic field of 0.4 T perpendicular to the plane of the loop. The loop is rotated through an angle of 60° in 0.2 s. The value of emf induced in the loop will be:

5 V
3.5 V
2.5 V
Zero V

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3.
Photoemission of electrons occurs from a metal (\( \phi_0 = 1.96 \, \text{eV} \)) when light of frequency \( 6.4 \times 10^{14} \, \text{Hz} \) is incident on it. Calculate: Energy of a photon in the incident light, The maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons, and The stopping potential.

View Solution

4.
Two small identical metallic balls having charges \( q \) and \( -2q \) are kept far at a separation \( r \). They are brought in contact and then separated at distance \( \frac{r}{2} \). Compared to the initial force \( F \), they will now:

attract with a force \( \frac{F}{2} \)
repel with a force \( \frac{F}{2} \)
repel with a force \( F \)
attract with a force \( F \)

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5.
Two heaters rated as \((P_1,V)\) and \((P_2,V)\) are connected in series across a dc source of \(V/2\) volt. The power consumed by the combination will be –

\((P_1+P_2)\)
\(\dfrac{P_1+P_2}{2}\)
\(\dfrac{P_1P_2}{2(P_1+P_2)}\)
\(\dfrac{P_1P_2}{4(P_1+P_2)}\)

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6.
Four independent waves are expressed as \[ (i)\; y_1=A_1\sin\omega t, \] \[ (ii)\; y_2=A_2\sin 2\omega t, \] \[ (iii)\; y_3=A_3\cos\omega t, \] \[ (iv)\; y_4=A_4\sin\left(\omega t+\frac{\pi}{3}\right) \] The interference between two of these waves is possible in

(i) and (iii) only
(iii) and (iv) only
(i), (iii) and (iv) only
All of them

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What is the meaning of magnitude in physics?

CBSE CLASS XII Related Questions

1.
The figure shows three point charges kept at the vertices of triangle ABC. The net electric field, due to this system of charges, at the midpoint M of base BC will be:

2.
A square loop of side 0.50 m is placed in a uniform magnetic field of 0.4 T perpendicular to the plane of the loop. The loop is rotated through an angle of 60° in 0.2 s. The value of emf induced in the loop will be:

3.
Photoemission of electrons occurs from a metal (\( \phi_0 = 1.96 \, \text{eV} \)) when light of frequency \( 6.4 \times 10^{14} \, \text{Hz} \) is incident on it. Calculate: Energy of a photon in the incident light, The maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons, and The stopping potential.

4.
Two small identical metallic balls having charges \( q \) and \( -2q \) are kept far at a separation \( r \). They are brought in contact and then separated at distance \( \frac{r}{2} \). Compared to the initial force \( F \), they will now:

5.
Two heaters rated as \((P_1,V)\) and \((P_2,V)\) are connected in series across a dc source of \(V/2\) volt. The power consumed by the combination will be –

6.
Four independent waves are expressed as \[ (i)\; y_1=A_1\sin\omega t, \] \[ (ii)\; y_2=A_2\sin 2\omega t, \] \[ (iii)\; y_3=A_3\cos\omega t, \] \[ (iv)\; y_4=A_4\sin\left(\omega t+\frac{\pi}{3}\right) \] The interference between two of these waves is possible in

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What is the meaning of magnitude in physics?

CBSE CLASS XII Related Questions

1.The figure shows three point charges kept at the vertices of triangle ABC. The net electric field, due to this system of charges, at the midpoint M of base BC will be:

2.A square loop of side 0.50 m is placed in a uniform magnetic field of 0.4 T perpendicular to the plane of the loop. The loop is rotated through an angle of 60° in 0.2 s. The value of emf induced in the loop will be:

3.Photoemission of electrons occurs from a metal (\( \phi_0 = 1.96 \, \text{eV} \)) when light of frequency \( 6.4 \times 10^{14} \, \text{Hz} \) is incident on it. Calculate: Energy of a photon in the incident light, The maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons, and The stopping potential.

4.Two small identical metallic balls having charges \( q \) and \( -2q \) are kept far at a separation \( r \). They are brought in contact and then separated at distance \( \frac{r}{2} \). Compared to the initial force \( F \), they will now:

5.Two heaters rated as \((P_1,V)\) and \((P_2,V)\) are connected in series across a dc source of \(V/2\) volt. The power consumed by the combination will be –

6.Four independent waves are expressed as \[ (i)\; y_1=A_1\sin\omega t, \] \[ (ii)\; y_2=A_2\sin 2\omega t, \] \[ (iii)\; y_3=A_3\cos\omega t, \] \[ (iv)\; y_4=A_4\sin\left(\omega t+\frac{\pi}{3}\right) \] The interference between two of these waves is possible in

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1.
The figure shows three point charges kept at the vertices of triangle ABC. The net electric field, due to this system of charges, at the midpoint M of base BC will be:

2.
A square loop of side 0.50 m is placed in a uniform magnetic field of 0.4 T perpendicular to the plane of the loop. The loop is rotated through an angle of 60° in 0.2 s. The value of emf induced in the loop will be:

3.
Photoemission of electrons occurs from a metal (\( \phi_0 = 1.96 \, \text{eV} \)) when light of frequency \( 6.4 \times 10^{14} \, \text{Hz} \) is incident on it. Calculate: Energy of a photon in the incident light, The maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons, and The stopping potential.

4.
Two small identical metallic balls having charges \( q \) and \( -2q \) are kept far at a separation \( r \). They are brought in contact and then separated at distance \( \frac{r}{2} \). Compared to the initial force \( F \), they will now:

5.
Two heaters rated as \((P_1,V)\) and \((P_2,V)\) are connected in series across a dc source of \(V/2\) volt. The power consumed by the combination will be –

6.
Four independent waves are expressed as \[ (i)\; y_1=A_1\sin\omega t, \] \[ (ii)\; y_2=A_2\sin 2\omega t, \] \[ (iii)\; y_3=A_3\cos\omega t, \] \[ (iv)\; y_4=A_4\sin\left(\omega t+\frac{\pi}{3}\right) \] The interference between two of these waves is possible in