The energy released by a magnitude 8 quake on the Richter scale is how many times greater than that of a magnitude 6 quake?
A)3.15
B)31.5
C)63
D)992
E)31,255

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy released by an earthquake increases by a factor of 10 for each increase of 1 on the Richter scale. Therefore, the energy released by a magnitude 8 quake is 10^(8-6) = 10^2 = 100 times greater than that of a magnitude 6 quake. 
The answer choices in terms of this factor are: 
A) 10^(6-8) = 10^(-2) = 0.01 
B) 10^(6-8+1) = 10^(-1) = 0.1 
C) 10^(6-8+2) = 1 
D) 10^(8-6) = 10^2 = 100 
E) 10^(8-6+3) = 10^5 = 100,000 
Thus, the correct answer is D, 992.

The Energy Released by a Magnitude 8 Quake on the Richter