Multiple choice general knowledge science & technology

What does each whole unit on the Richter scale represent

  1. A 30-fold increase in earthquake's magnitude

  2. A 15-fold increase in earthquake's magnitude

  3. A 15-fold decrease in earthquake's magnitude

  4. A 10-fold increase in earthquake's magnitude
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale, meaning each whole number increase represents a tenfold increase in measured wave amplitude and roughly a 32-fold increase in energy released. In standard multiple-choice questions of this format, a 10-fold increase in magnitude amplitude is the expected answer.

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