Final answer:
An earthquake that measures 6.0 on the Richter scale is approximately 31.6 times more powerful than an earthquake that measures 4.0.
Step-by-step explanation:
Earthquakes are quantified using the Richter scale, which measures the energy produced by an earthquake. The Richter scale numbers, such as 4.0 and 6.0, represent the magnitude of the earthquake.
The difference in magnitude between two earthquakes can be calculated by subtracting the smaller magnitude from the larger magnitude. In this case, the difference would be 6.0 - 4.0 = 2.0.
To determine how much more powerful an earthquake is, we can use the fact that each unit increase on the Richter scale represents a tenfold increase in amplitude and approximately 31.6 times more energy being released. Therefore, an earthquake that measures 6.0 on the Richter scale is approximately 31.6 times more powerful than an earthquake that measures 4.0.