Final answer:
The relative sizes of boxes represent scale on a logarithmic timeline, with each box size indicating a ten-fold increase, which could represent various quantities in scientific contexts. They can also illustrate hierarchical importance or magnification in images.
Step-by-step explanation:
The relative sizes of the boxes you are referring to most likely represent the concept of scale on a logarithmic timeline, which is used to illustrate the growth or change of certain quantities over time. In your description, the box labeled 'Big Bang' would be the starting point, and the following boxes would show how the size (which can represent various physical or abstract quantities such as volume, area, force, etc.) has changed up to the 'Present' box. The logarithmic scale means that each step or unit increase on this scale represents a ten-fold increase. For example, if the 'Big Bang' box represents a certain volume, and there are three boxes in a row up to 'Present', the third box could represent a volume that is 1,000 times larger because the scale is logarithmic (10 x 10 x 10).
Additionally, hierarchical scale, where elements of an image are sized based on their relative importance, can also be represented by varying box sizes, such as how Egyptians depicted pharaohs larger than other figures. In other scientific contexts, comparing areas or volumes can involve ratios like comparing the area of a larger square to that of a smaller one, or relative volumes such as the volumes of different sized cubes. The term magnification is also used to describe how the size of an image compares to the size of the actual object it represents.