Example

Try It 10.54: Comparing Earthquake Intensities in Chile and Los Angeles

To compare the intensities of the 2014 Chile earthquake (magnitude 8.28.2) and the 2014 Los Angeles earthquake (magnitude 5.15.1), express their intensities in exponential form using the relationship I=10RI = 10^R. Their intensities are 108.210^{8.2} and 105.110^{5.1}, respectively. Forming a ratio to compare them yields 108.2105.1\frac{10^{8.2}}{10^{5.1}}. By subtracting the exponents, the ratio simplifies to 103.110^{3.1}, which evaluates to approximately 1,2591{,}259. The Chile earthquake was about 1,2591{,}259 times as intense as the Los Angeles earthquake.

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Updated 2026-05-26

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