Final answer:
A magnitude 9 earthquake is 1000 times greater in terms of amplitude and approximately 31,600 times more energetic than a magnitude 6 earthquake, due to the logarithmic nature of the Richter scale.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Richter scale, which measures earthquake magnitude, is logarithmic. This means that each whole number increase on the scale represents a tenfold increase in the measured amplitude of the seismic waves and approximately 31.6 times more energy release. To calculate how much stronger a magnitude 9 earthquake is compared to a magnitude 6, we calculate 10^(9-6), which is 10^3 or 1000 times greater in terms of amplitude. However, in terms of energy released, we use the energy factor, which means a magnitude 9 earthquake releases approximately 31.6^3 (about 31,600) times more energy than a magnitude 6 earthquake.