How much more intense is an earthquake with a magnitude of $8.5$ on the Richter scale than one with a magnitude of $5.6$?
A) $1.9$Times
B) $79$Times
C) $2.9$Times
D) $794$Times
E) none of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The intensity of an earthquake increases by a factor of 10 for each increase of 1 unit in the Richter scale. Therefore, the difference in intensity between a magnitude 8.5 earthquake and a magnitude 5.6 earthquake is:
$$10^{(8.5-5.6)}=10^{2.9}=794$$
So an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.5 is 794 times more intense than one with a magnitude of 5.6.

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