What is Richter scale in science?

: an open-ended logarithmic scale for expressing the magnitude of a seismic disturbance (such as an earthquake) in terms of the energy dissipated in it with 1.5 indicating the smallest earthquake that can be felt, 4.5 an earthquake causing slight damage, and 8.5 a very devastating earthquake.

What is the meaning of magnitude of earthquake?

Magnitude is the physical size of the earthquake (see cross-section below), the length (L) x the width (W) x the slip (D). An earthquake has a single magnitude. The shaking that it causes has many values that vary from place to place based on distance, type of surface material, and other factors.

How do you calculate Richter magnitude?

A better measure of the size of an earthquake is the amount of energy released by the earthquake, which is related to the Richter Scale by the following equation: Log E = 11.8 + 1.5 M (where Log refers to the logarithm to the base 10, E is the energy released in ergs and M the Richter magnitude).

What does a 4.0 earthquake feel like?

An M 4.0 earthquake could feel like a large truck driving by, while an M 8.0 quake could shake you so much you cannot stand. Usually you will not be able to feel a magnitude 2.5 or lower earthquake.

Is a 4.5 earthquake strong?

Richter magnitudes. . Events with magnitudes greater than 4.5 are strong enough to be recorded by a seismograph anywhere in the world, so long as its sensors are not located in the earthquake’s shadow. The following describes the typical effects of earthquakes of various magnitudes near the epicenter.

What is the formula for the Richter scale?

The Richter scale is used to measure the intensity of earthquakes. It is a logarithmic relationship with the following formula: R = log(I) I is the intensity of the earthquake and R is the number on the Richter scale.

What is the highest number on the Richter scale?

The Richter scale runs from 1 to 10, with 1 being the smallest and 10 being the largest. Because the Richter scale is logarithmic, a 5.0 earthquake measures 10 times the shaking amplitude than one that measures 4.0, for example.

What is a Richter scale?

Richter scale. (General Physics) a scale for expressing the magnitude of an earthquake in terms of the logarithm of the amplitude of the ground wave; values range from 0 to over 9.

What was the Richter scale?

Richter Scale Explained. The Richter scale is a scale that is used to express the magnitude of an earthquake on the basis of the size of seismograph oscillations. It was developed by Charles Richter in 1935. It is also known as Richter magnitude scale. It is used to measure the intensity of the earthquake.