On the Richter scale which measures how powerful earthquakes are, how much stronger is an 8.0 than a 4.0?

I think the question is written wrong or the answers. In the question it asks "how much stronger", but in the answers it states "larger". So if the answer of 10,000 is correct, it would need to ask "how much bigger" instead.

Our Pacific subduction fault is getting close to being over due. Will hit Oregon and Washington with a 8-9 or even a 10. As a result it will probably trigger the San Andrea faults that run up and down California. The epicenter will be around Coos Bay - North Bend on the coast where 20-30 miles out to sea the Pacific plate (Juan de Fuca) has been pulled so far under the Cascadia plate (North American) that it is bowed backward (or towards the coastline). Live next to OSU oceanography where they have studied this huge subduction fault for years...."The Cascadia Subduction Zone has not produced an earthquake since 1700 and is building up pressure where the Juan de Fuca Plate is subsiding underneath the North American plate. Currently, scientists are predicting that there is about a 37 percent chance that a megathrust earthquake of 7.1+ magnitude in this fault zone will occur in the next 50 years." My neighbors that are studying it say in percentage is much higher as is the magnitude expected. Okay - getting off soap box now...giggle.

Didnt really explain !

Great question! That’s my new knowledge for today.

Thomas Begeng, Thank you for explaining that. God bless you and your family. Christine, James' wife

Howard Groopman, The way you said it makes the computation very simple. That's the way I've always done it.

RCKCreatEnt, It needs more editing than those two words.

Jon Pyzel, sorry to hear it. Terrible bridge collapse, too.

New Zealand is located on the Pacific's "Ring of Fire"'s earthquake and volcanic zone and here in Wellington, we occasionally experience ones between 1 and 4, sometimes 5. There are many small ones that are not felt, mainly due to the depth that they occur, but, nonetheless, are still registered.

Kristi Stevens, on the richter scale strength and size (bigness) are the same. Another scale is used to measure intensity which refers to the amount of energy released.

twohowlingdogs, the richter scale measures size or strength of an earthquake not the intensity so the answer is correct.

Frequent occurance. Don't pay much attention.

Yes, I knew that each full number is 10X larger than the one before it. So 10x10x10x10.

Got wrong

In the western part of Mexico, yes, they occur. We felt two of them last year in Chelem Puerto, Yucatan, Mexico. Many many many many miles away. It was amazing being so far away and feeling impact from it; mild as it was. No damage. Shaking ground, thud noise and caused some waves in inground pools. Didn’t last more than a few seconds.

My mother was in the 1930 Napier [NZ] earthquake. She was 5 and was in the school playground at the time. She has been quite blase about earthquakes ever since and she has experienced quite a few!