Physics A-Level
Apparent versus absolute magnitude
What Apparent versus absolute magnitude means in Physics A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of Apparent versus absolute magnitude
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Reference: AQA
Apparent magnitude m describes observed brightness, while absolute magnitude M describes intrinsic luminosity at a standard distance of 10 parsecs.
Topics that use Apparent versus absolute magnitude
- Classification by luminosity (A-level only) (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Apparent magnitude
- Brightness
- Intensity of radiation received
- Irradiance
- Logarithmic brightness ratio
- Logarithmic brightness scale
- Logarithmic scale
- Luminosity
Using Apparent versus absolute magnitude in the exam
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