Order of Magnitude

The Order of Magnitude is a term used to describe the difference in size or scale between two things. It’s the mathematical way of saying “wow, that’s really big” or “dang, that’s really small.”

To help understand this concept, let’s take a look at a few examples. The diameter of the Earth is approximately 12,742 kilometers. The diameter of a mosquito is approximately 2.5 millimeters. That means the difference in size between the Earth and a mosquito is roughly 10^15. If you’re having trouble picturing that, imagine trying to fit 10^15 mosquitoes on the surface of the Earth. Yikes!

Another example is the difference in wealth between Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world, and your average college student. Bezos has a net worth of over \(200 billion, while your average college student is lucky to have \)200 in their bank account. That means the difference in wealth between Bezos and a college student is roughly 10^9. In other words, if Bezos gave each college student just $1, it would still take him over 900 years to give away all of his money.

But enough about math, let’s get to the fun stuff. The Order of Magnitude can also be used to describe the magnitude of everyday life. For example, the difference in energy levels between a cup of coffee and a shot of espresso is roughly 10^2. That means drinking an espresso is like playing a game of Mario Kart on Rainbow Road while drinking a cup of coffee is like driving down a straight, empty road.

The Order of Magnitude can also be used to describe the difference in productivity between a Monday morning and a Friday afternoon. The difference is roughly 10^3. On Monday mornings, you feel like you’re climbing Mount Everest in flip flops. On Friday afternoons, you feel like you’re riding a giant unicorn through a field of rainbows.

In conclusion, the Order of Magnitude is a concept that helps us understand the vast differences in size, scale, and just about everything else in the world. Whether it’s the difference in size between the Earth and a mosquito, the difference in wealth between Jeff Bezos and a college student, or the difference in energy levels between a cup of coffee and an espresso, the Order of Magnitude is always there to put things into perspective… even if we don’t always like what it has to say.