order of magnitude

Order of magnitude refers to the scale or size of a quantity expressed as a power of ten. It helps compare different values by showing roughly how many times one number is larger or smaller than another in factors of ten. For example, 1000 and 1500 are both in the same order of magnitude (10^3), while 10 and 100 are one order of magnitude apart (10^1 and 10^2). This concept simplifies understanding very large or very small numbers by focusing on their scale rather than exact details.