The most intense recorded earthquake in the southeast states during a period of time had Richter magnitude 3.1. If an earthquake were to strike one of these states next year that was four times as intense as the current record, what would its Richter magnitude be?
A) 3.7
B) 3.6
C) 3.4
D) 7.1

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Richter scale is logarithmic, meaning each whole number increase represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude. An earthquake that is four times as intense would be represented by an increase of 0.6 on the Richter scale (since $10^{0.6} \approx 4$). Therefore, adding 0.6 to the current record of 3.1 gives a magnitude of 3.7.

The Most Intense Recorded Earthquake in the Southeast States During