What is magnitude in physics?

In physics, magnitude refers to the size or amount of a physical quantity. It is a numerical value expressed in appropriate units. Magnitude is often associated with vectors and scalars.

• Vectors: For a vector, the magnitude represents its length. For example, the magnitude of a velocity vector indicates the speed of an object. The magnitude of a force vector indicates the strength of the force.

• Scalars: For a scalar quantity, the magnitude is simply its numerical value. Examples include mass, temperature, and time.

It is important to note that magnitude only represents the size of a quantity and does not include direction. For vectors, direction is specified separately. For example, a force of 10 Newtons is the magnitude; the direction could be "upward" or "to the right".