Magnitude - GCSE Maths Definition

Reviewed by: Dan Finlay

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Magnitude is a term used in maths to describe the size or amount of something. It refers to how large or small a number is, without considering its direction or whether it is positive or negative. For example, the magnitude of both -3 and 3 is the same because they are the same distance from zero on a number line.

In GCSE Maths, you might hear about magnitude when discussing vectors, where it is used to refer to how long the line representing the vector is, without worrying about its direction.

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Dan Finlay

Reviewer: Dan Finlay

Expertise: Maths Subject Lead

Dan graduated from the University of Oxford with a First class degree in mathematics. As well as teaching maths for over 8 years, Dan has marked a range of exams for Edexcel, tutored students and taught A Level Accounting. Dan has a keen interest in statistics and probability and their real-life applications.

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