1. How many times more intense is an 8.6 earthquake on the Richter scale, compared to a 7.2 earthquake?

Solve using exponents only.

2. What is the Richter scale measurement for an earthquake that is 100 times more intense than a 5.0
earthquake? Solve using logs only.

1 answer

1. 8.6^2 / 7.2^2 = 10.76
2. log(100) + 5.0 = 8.0