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I wanted to know how to use the right term when explaining the difference between numbers.

For example, I have two lenses:

Lens 1 = 10x zoom Lens 2 = 5x zoom

I know I can say that the 1 has 2x bigger magnification, but can I say that lens 2 has 2x smaller magnification. Does it work both ways?

Thanks

Hans Lundmark
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Liron Harel
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    I don't think 'twice as small' means the same thing as 'half as big'. I'd say lens 2 has half the magnification of lens 1. – paw88789 Oct 11 '14 at 10:11

1 Answers1

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This is more an English language question.

Personally I do not think you can say Lens $1$ has "$2$ times bigger magnification" without ambiguity.

If you said it had $50\%$ more magnification, then this would be $1.5$ times Lens $2$'s magnification, so $100\%$ more magnification would be twice and logically $200\%$ more magnification would be three times.

Better to say Lens $1$ has $2$ times the magnification of Lens $2$, or Lens $1$ has twice the magnification of Lens $2$. Then to reverse these you could say Lens $2$ has $0.5$ times the magnification of Lens $1$, or Lens $2$ has half the magnification of Lens $1$.

Henry
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