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39-663: In mathematical terms, "size is a concept abstracted from the process of measuring by comparing a longer to a shorter". Size is determined by the process of comparing or measuring objects, which results in the determination of the magnitude of a quantity, such as length or mass, relative to a unit of measurement . Such a magnitude is usually expressed as a numerical value of units on a previously established spatial scale , such as meters or inches . The sizes with which humans tend to be most familiar are body dimensions (measures of anthropometry ), which include measures such as human height and human body weight . These measures can, in

78-408: A logarithmic scale . Such a scale is also used to measure the intensity of an earthquake , and this intensity is often referred to as the "size" of the event. In computing, file size is a measure of the size of a computer file , typically measured in bytes . The actual amount of disk space consumed by the file depends on the file system . The maximum file size a file system supports depends on

117-406: A comparison. Comparison can take many distinct forms, varying by field: To compare is to bring two or more things together (physically or in contemplation) and to examine them systematically, identifying similarities and differences among them. Comparison has a different meaning within each framework of study. Any exploration of the similarities or differences of two or more units is a comparison. In

156-518: A diff after the Unix diff utility , there are a range of ways to compare data sources and display the results. Some widely used file comparison programs are diff , cmp , FileMerge , WinMerge , Beyond Compare , and File Compare . Newton (unit) The newton (symbol: N ) is the unit of force in the International System of Units (SI) . Expressed in terms of SI base units , it

195-420: A form of metaphor that explicitly use connecting words (such as like, as, so, than, or various verbs such as resemble ) though these specific words are not always necessary. While similes are mainly used in forms of poetry that compare the inanimate and the living, there are also instances in which similes are used for humorous purposes of comparison. A number of literary works have commented negatively on

234-477: Is 1 kg⋅m/s , the force that accelerates a mass of one kilogram at one metre per second squared. The unit is named after Isaac Newton in recognition of his work on classical mechanics , specifically his second law of motion . A newton is defined as 1 kg⋅m/s (it is a named derived unit defined in terms of the SI base units ). One newton is, therefore, the force needed to accelerate one kilogram of mass at

273-440: Is a discursive strategy. There are a few important points to bear in mind when one wants to make a comparison. First of all, one has to decide, in any given work, whether one is mainly after similarities or differences. It is very difficult, for example, to say, let alone prove, that Japan and China or Korea are basically similar or basically different. Either case could be made, depending on one's angle of vision, one's framework, and

312-551: Is closer, and by how much, which allows for some estimation of the size of the more distant object relative to the closer object. This also allows for the estimation of the size of large objects based on comparison of closer and farther parts of the same object. The perception of size can be distorted by manipulating these cues, for example through the creation of forced perspective . Some measures of size may also be determined by sound . Visually impaired humans often use echolocation to determine features of their surroundings, such as

351-474: Is judged based on their size relative to humans , and particularly whether this size makes them easy to observe without aid. Humans most frequently perceive the size of objects through visual cues . One common means of perceiving size is to compare the size of a newly observed object with the size of a familiar object whose size is already known. Binocular vision gives humans the capacity for depth perception , which can be used to judge which of several objects

390-412: Is named after Isaac Newton . As with every SI unit named for a person, its symbol starts with an upper case letter (N), but when written in full, it follows the rules for capitalisation of a common noun ; i.e., newton becomes capitalised at the beginning of a sentence and in titles but is otherwise in lower case. The connection to Newton comes from Newton's second law of motion , which states that

429-478: Is the unit of force, while kilogram is the unit of mass) on the surface of the Earth (its mass multiplied by the gravitational field strength ). Its weight will be less on Mars (where gravity is weaker), more on Saturn , and negligible in space when far from any significant source of gravity, but it will always have the same mass. Two objects of equal size, however, may have very different mass and weight, depending on

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468-427: The composition and density of the objects. By contrast, if two objects are known to have roughly the same composition, then some information about the size of one can be determined by measuring the size of the other, and determining the difference in weight between the two. For example, if two blocks of wood are equally dense, and it is known that one weighs ten kilograms and the other weighs twenty kilograms, and that

507-420: The diameter of the observable universe about 91 billion light-years (28 × 10 ^  pc). In poetry , fiction , and other literature , size is occasionally assigned to characteristics that do not have measurable dimensions, such as the metaphorical reference to the size of a person's heart as a shorthand for describing their typical degree of kindness or generosity . With respect to physical size,

546-498: The speed of light , the Planck constant , and the Newtonian constant of gravitation . In contrast, the largest observable thing is the observable universe . The comoving distance – the distance as would be measured at a specific time, including the present – between Earth and the edge of the observable universe is 46 billion light-years (14 × 10 ^  pc), making

585-455: The SI definition of the newton: 1 kg⋅m/s . At average gravity on Earth (conventionally, g n {\displaystyle g_{\text{n}}} = 9.806 65  m/s ), a kilogram mass exerts a force of about 9.81 N. Large forces may be expressed in kilonewtons (kN), where 1 kN = 1000 N . For example, the tractive effort of a Class Y steam train locomotive and

624-446: The aggregate, allow the generation of commercially useful distributions of products that accommodate expected body sizes, as with the creation of clothing sizes and shoe sizes , and with the standardization of door frame dimensions, ceiling heights, and bed sizes . The human experience of size can lead to a psychological tendency towards size bias, wherein the relative importance or perceived complexity of organisms and other objects

663-450: The amount needed to accelerate one kilogram of mass at the rate of one metre per second squared. In 1948, the 9th CGPM Resolution 7 adopted the name newton for this force. The MKS system then became the blueprint for today's SI system of units. The newton thus became the standard unit of force in the Système international d'unités (SI), or International System of Units . The newton

702-515: The arts. Comparison is a natural activity, which even animals engage in when deciding, for example, which potential food to eat. Humans similarly have always engaged in comparison when hunting or foraging for food. This behavior carries over into activities like shopping for food, clothes, and other items, choosing which job to apply for or which job to take from multiple offers, or choosing which applicants to hire for employment. In commerce, people often engage in comparison shopping : attempting to get

741-453: The belief that there is a drive within individuals to gain accurate self-evaluations. The theory explains how individuals evaluate their own opinions and abilities by comparing themselves to others to reduce uncertainty in these domains, and learn how to define the self. Following the initial theory, research began to focus on social comparison as a way of self-enhancement, introducing the concepts of downward and upward comparisons and expanding

780-456: The best deal for a product by comparing the qualities of different available versions of that product and attempting to determine which one maximizes the return on the money spent. In the twenty-first century, as shopping has increasingly been done on the internet , comparison shopping websites have developed to aid shoppers in making such determinations. When consumers and others invest excessive thought into making comparisons, this can result in

819-422: The comparison of adjectives and adverbs is degree of comparison. Academically, comparison is used between things like economic and political systems. Political scientist and historian Benedict Anderson has cautioned against use of comparisons without considering the relevant framework of things being compared: It is important to recognise that comparison is not a method or even an academic technique; rather, it

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858-424: The comparisons made between wit and wit, courage and courage, beauty and beauty, birth and birth, are always odious and ill taken?" Editing documents, program code, or any data always risks introducing errors. Displaying the differences between two or more sets of data, file comparison tools can make computing simpler, and more efficient by focusing on new data and ignoring what did not change. Generically known as

897-406: The concept of resizing is occasionally presented in fairy tales , fantasy , and science fiction , placing humans in a different context within their natural environment by depicting them as having physically been made exceptionally large or exceptionally small through some fantastic means. Comparison Comparison or comparing is the act of evaluating two or more things by determining

936-526: The conclusions towards which one intends to move. Anderson notes as an example that "[i]n the jingoist years on the eve of the First World War , when Germans and Frenchmen were encouraged to hate each other, the great Austro-Marxist theoretician Otto Bauer enjoyed baiting both sides" by comparing their similarities, "saying that contemporary Parisians and Berliners had far more in common than either had with their respective medieval ancestors". Notably,

975-471: The force exerted on an object is directly proportional to the acceleration hence acquired by that object, thus: F = m a , {\displaystyle F=ma,} where m {\displaystyle m} represents the mass of the object undergoing an acceleration a {\displaystyle a} . When using the SI unit of mass, the kilogram (kg), and SI units for distance metre (m), and time, second (s) we arrive at

1014-464: The most limited sense, it consists of comparing two units isolated from each other. To compare things, they must have characteristics that are similar enough in relevant ways to merit comparison. If two things are too different to compare in a useful way, an attempt to compare them is colloquially referred to in English as "comparing apples and oranges ." Comparison is widely used in society, in science and

1053-409: The motivations of social comparisons. Human language has evolved to suit this practice by facilitating grammatical comparison , with comparative forms enabling a person to describe a thing as having more or less of a characteristic than another thing, or to describe a thing in a group as having the most or least of that characteristic relative to the group. The grammatical category associated with

1092-561: The naked eye may be measured when viewed through a microscope , while objects too large to fit within the field of vision may be measured using a telescope , or through extrapolation from known reference points. However, even very advanced measuring devices may still present a limited field of view . Objects being described by their relative size are often described as being comparatively big and little, or large and small, although "big and little tend to carry affective and evaluative connotations, whereas large and small tend to refer only to

1131-439: The number of bits reserved to store size information and the total size of the file system in terms of its capacity to store bits of information. In physics , the Planck length , denoted ℓ P , is a unit of length , equal to 1.616 199 (97) × 10  metres . It is a unit in the system of Planck units , developed by physicist Max Planck . The Planck length is defined in terms of three fundamental physical constants :

1170-457: The phrase "comparative studies" is generally used to refer to cross-cultural studies , within the fields of sociology and anthropology . Émile Durkheim , one of the founders of the field of sociology, said of this term that "comparative sociology is not a particular branch of sociology; it is sociology itself". The primary use of comparison in literature is with the simile , a figure of speech that directly compares two things. Similes are

1209-520: The practice of comparison. For example, 15th-century English poet John Lydgate wrote "[o]dyous of olde been comparsionis", which was reflected by many later writers, such as William Shakespeare , who included the line in Much Ado About Nothing , "comparisons are odious". Miguel de Cervantes , in a passage in Don Quixote , wrote, "is it possible your pragmatical worship should not know that

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1248-667: The problem of analysis paralysis . Humans also tend to compare themselves and their belongings with others, an activity also observed in some animals. Children begin developing the ability to compare themselves to others in elementary school. In adults, this can lead to unhappiness when a person compares things that they have to things they perceived as superior and unobtainable that others have. Some marketing relies on making such comparisons to entice people to purchase things so they compare more favorably with people who have these things. Social comparison theory , initially proposed by social psychologist Leon Festinger in 1954, centers on

1287-525: The rate of one metre per second squared in the direction of the applied force. The units "metre per second squared" can be understood as measuring a rate of change in velocity per unit of time, i.e. an increase in velocity by one metre per second every second. In 1946, the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) Resolution 2 standardized the unit of force in the MKS system of units to be

1326-410: The relevant, comparable characteristics of each thing, and then determining which characteristics of each are similar to the other, which are different , and to what degree. Where characteristics are different, the differences may then be evaluated to determine which thing is best suited for a particular purpose. The description of similarities and differences found between the two things is also called

1365-405: The same kind. More formally, an object's magnitude is an ordering (or ranking) of the class of objects to which it belongs. There are various other mathematical concepts of size for sets, such as: In statistics ( hypothesis testing ), the "size" of the test refers to the rate of false positives , denoted by α. In astronomy , the magnitude of brightness or intensity of a star is measured on

1404-453: The size of a thing". A wide range of other terms exist to describe things by their relative size, with small things being described for example as tiny, miniature, or minuscule, and large things being described as, for example, huge, gigantic, or enormous. Objects are also typically described as tall or short specifically relative to their vertical height, and as long or short specifically relative to their length along other directions. Although

1443-403: The size of an object may be reflected in its mass or its weight , each of these is a different concept. In scientific contexts, mass refers loosely to the amount of " matter " in an object (though "matter" may be difficult to define), whereas weight refers to the force experienced by an object due to gravity . An object with a mass of 1.0 kilogram will weigh approximately 9.81 newtons ( newton

1482-451: The size of spaces and objects. However, even humans who lack this ability can tell if a space that they are unable to see is large or small from hearing sounds echo in the space. Size can also be determined by touch , which is a process of haptic perception . The sizes of objects that can not readily be measured merely by sensory input may be evaluated with other kinds of measuring instruments . For example, objects too small to be seen with

1521-450: The ten kilogram block has a volume of one cubic foot, then it can be deduced that the twenty kilogram block has a volume of two cubic feet. The concept of size is often applied to ideas that have no physical reality. In mathematics , magnitude is the size of a mathematical object , which is an abstract object with no concrete existence. Magnitude is a property by which the object can be compared as larger or smaller than other objects of

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