The magnitude of earthquake 1 is 5.4.If earthquake 2 is 14.13 times as intense as earthquake 1, find the magnitude of earthquake 2.Round your answer to 1 decimal place.
A) 6.6
B) 4.3
C) 19.5
D) 7.3

Question

The magnitude of earthquake 1 is 5.4.If earthquake 2 is 14.13 times as intense as earthquake 1, find the magnitude of earthquake 2.Round your answer to 1 decimal place. ​
A) 6.6
B) 4.3
C) 19.5
D) 7.3

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The magnitude of an earthquake is measured on a logarithmic scale. The formula to determine the magnitude difference (ΔM) based on the intensity ratio (I) is ΔM = log10(I). Given that earthquake 2 is 14.13 times as intense as earthquake 1, we find ΔM = log10(14.13) ≈ 1.15. Adding this difference to the magnitude of earthquake 1 (5.4) gives us the magnitude of earthquake 2: 5.4 + 1.15 = 6.55, which rounds to 6.6.

The Magnitude of Earthquake 1 Is 5