ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Logarithmic norm

Let's imagine you have a really big tree in your backyard. And someone asks you "How big is it?"

Usually when we talk about the size of something, we just use the number of inches, feet, meters or whatever unit we measure it in.

But when something is REALLY big or REALLY small, the numbers can get tricky. That's where logarithmic norm comes in handy!

Think of it like this - imagine you have a ruler and you're trying to measure the length of the tree. But you're not just using any ol' ruler, you're using a special ruler that shows you the length in powers of 10.

So instead of saying the tree is 500 inches tall, you might use this special ruler and say that the tree is 2 x 10^2 inches tall (which actually means 200 inches tall).

This way of measuring things makes it easier to talk about things that are really huge or really small without having to use a bajillion digits.

So if you're ever talking about something that's super big or super small, remember the logarithmic norm ruler and all your friends will think you're super smart!