Problem 1: Early in the century an earthquake measured 8.0 on the Richter scale.

In the same year,

another earthquake was recorded that was six time stronger. What was the magnitude of the
earthquake of the stronger earthquake?

Answer: 8.78 on the Richter Scale.

Solution: Convert the first sentence to an equivalent mathematical sentence or equation where

Convert the second sentence to an equivalent mathematical sentence or equation:

I2=6 I1

Convert the third sentence into an equivalent mathematical sentence or equation:

Replace I2 with I1

The intensity of the second earthquake was 8.78 on the Richter scale.

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Problem 2: A recent earthquake measured 6.8 on the Richter scale. How many times more
intense was this earthquake than an earthquake that measured 4.3 on the Richter scale?

Answer: 316

Solution: Let I1 refer to the earthquake that measured 6.8 on the Richter scale, and I2 refer
to the earthquake that measured 4.3 on the Richter scale.

Solve for:

The intensity of the larger earthquake was earthquake as 316 times as intense as the
smaller earthquake.

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 Problem 3: If one earthquake is 31 times as intense as another, how much larger is its magnitude
on the Richter scale?

Answer: 1.49

Solution: I1 = 31 I2

We are looking for the quantity M1 -- M2

I1 = 31 I2

The larger earthquake was 1.49 larger on the Richter scale.

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Example 4: Early in the century the earthquake in San Francisco registered 8.3 on the Richter scale. In
the same year, another earthquake was recorded in South America that was four time stronger. What was
the magnitude of the earthquake in South American?

Solution: Convert the first sentence to an equivalent mathematical sentence or equation.

Convert the second sentence to an equivalent mathematical sentence or equation.

Solve for MSA.

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The intensity of the earthquake in South America was 8.9 on the Richter scale.

Example 5: A recent earthquake in San Francisco measured 7.1 on the Richter scale. How many times
more intense was the San Francisco earthquake described in Example 1?

Solution: The intensity (I) of each earthquake was different. Let I1 represent the intensity the early
earthquake and I2represent the latest earthquake.

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What you are looking for is the ratio of the intensities: So our task is to isolate this ratio from the
above given information using the rules of logarithms.

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Convert the logarithmic equation to an exponential equation.

The early earthquake was 16 times as intense as the later earthquake.

PROBLEM 6:

PROBLEM 7: An earthquake is measured with a wave amplitude 392 times as great as A0A0. What is
the magnitude of this earthquake, to the nearest tenth, using the Richter scale?

Use the Richter scale equation.

A
R=log( )
A0
Since A is 392 times as large as A0, A=392A0. Substitute this expression in for A.
392A0
R=log( )
A0
Simplify the argument of the logarithm, and then use a calculator to evaluate.
392A0
R =log( )
A0
=log(392)
=2.5932≈2.6
The earthquake registered 2.6 on the Richter scale.

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Problem 8:

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