The ground motion from a magnitude 6 earthquake is approximately
A) twice as much as ground motion from a magnitude 5 earthquake.
B) 10 times as much as ground motion from a magnitude 5 earthquake.
C) 20 times as much as ground motion from a magnitude 5 earthquake.
D) 30 times as much as ground motion from a magnitude 5 earthquake.
E) 100 times as much as ground motion from a magnitude 5 earthquake.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Richter scale, which measures earthquake magnitude, is logarithmic. This means that each whole number increase on the scale represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude. Therefore, a magnitude 6 earthquake would produce ground motion 10 times greater than that of a magnitude 5 earthquake.

The Ground Motion from a Magnitude 6 Earthquake Is Approximately