⇒ 0
1
An earthquake with a magnitude of about 2.0 or less is called a microearthquake. It is not usually felt. The intensity of an earthquake with a magnitude of 2 is how many times greater than the intensity of an a standard earthquake?

By what factor does the intensity increase for each whole-number increase in the Richter scale? Use your understanding of logarithms and the inverse relationship between logarithms and exponents to explain your answer.
The intensity of an earthquake increases by a factor of 10 for each whole-number increase on the Richter scale. This is because the Richter scale is based on common logarithms (base 10). According to the inverse relationship between logarithms and exponents, an increase of 1 in magnitude corresponds to an intensity increase of 10^1. For example, a magnitude 3 earthquake is 10^3 times more intense than a standard earthquake, while a magnitude 2 earthquake is 10^2 times more intense; since 10^3 = 10^2 × 10, the intensity is 10 times greater.
How many more times intense is an earthquake that measures 8 on the Richter scale than an earthquake that measures 5? Explain your answer.
A magnitude 8 earthquake is 1,000 times more intense than a magnitude 5 earthquake. This is because each unit on the Richter scale represents a 10-fold increase in intensity. Since the difference between 8 and 5 is 3 units, the intensity difference is 10 to the power of 3 (10^3), which equals 1,000.
Which equation represents the magnitude of an earthquake that is 100 times more intense than a standard earthquake?




What is the intensity of an earthquake with a magnitude of 3?
Which did you include in your answer?
Which did you include in your answer?
The magnitude is M = ⇒ 2
5
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