Im confused if im doing this right

Last week there was an earthquake that measured as a magnitude of 3.2 on the Richter scale. Today you hear on the radio that there was a second earthquake that was 27 times more intense than the first. What was the magnitude of the second earthquake on the Richter scale?

Ans:to get magmitude of the second i have to multiply 27 by first earthquake which is 3.2
27(3.2)=84

But i feel there is a way more to it,and its exponetial.

5 answers

No, log scale
I answered this yesterday

http://www.jiskha.com/display.cgi?id=1451681946
You multiply the 27 by the amplitude, not the log of the amplitude.
then take the log of the new bigger amplitude for the new Richter number.
here slowly
Richer number = 3.2
3.2 is log of amplitude A
log A = 3.2

10^logA = A = 10^3.2 = 10^3 * 10^.2
so A = 10^3 * 1.5848

Now Multiply THAT by your 27

B = 10^4 * 4.27921

log B = log 4 + log 4.27921
= 4.631
which is your new Richter #
Get the idea?
Richer # = log of amplitude.
so you take 27 times the antilog
and then take the log of that
Thank you so much damon!!