By what factor does the intensity increase for each whole-number increase in the Richter scale? Use your understanding of logarithms and the inverse relationship between logarithms and exponents to explain your answer.
Answer
Answer:
The intensity increases by a factor of 10 for each whole-number increase in the Richter scale because the scale uses base-10 logarithms. Increasing the magnitude by 1 multiplies the intensity by 10.