Question

What level of earthquake is considered major and can cause damage over a large area when the Richter scale rating is 6.6? Round your answer to the nearest hundredth."

Options:

1.6.60
2.6.61
3.6.59
4.6.65

Answer 1

A magnitude of 6.6 on the Richter scale is considered a major earthquake, capable of causing destructive effects. The correct answer to the question is 6.60, considering the Richter scale rating provided is already to the nearest hundredth.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale used to quantify the energy released by an earthquake. This scale is related to the amplitude of the seismic waves and the energy they transmit. Earthquake magnitudes are categorized in a way that each whole number increase on the Richter scale corresponds to a tenfold increase in wave amplitude and roughly 31.6 times more energy release. An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 on the Richter scale would typically be considered a major earthquake, capable of causing destructive effects over a large area. However, to answer the multiple-choice question that requires rounding to the nearest hundredth, none of the given options (6.60, 6.61, 6.59, 6.65) are needed because 6.6 is already at the nearest hundredth. Therefore, the correct answer is 6.60, which is explicitly answer option 1, considering the Richter scale rating in the question already specifies the magnitude to two decimal places.