Calculate how many times more intense an earthquake with a Richter number of 8.1 is than an earthquake with a Richter number of 6.2. Please round the answer to the whole number.
A) 84
B) 87
C) 79
D) 89
E) 81

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The difference in Richter numbers represents a tenfold difference in magnitude, so to determine how many times more intense the earthquake with the higher Richter number is, we need to take 10 to the power of the difference in the two numbers.

8.1 - 6.2 = 1.9

10^1.9 = 79.43

Rounding to the nearest whole number gives us 79, which is answer choice C.

Calculate How Many Times More Intense an Earthquake with a Richter