1) How much more energy is released in a 5.0 magnitude earthquake than a 4.0 magnitude earthquake.

I know that each unit of Richter magnitude equates to roughly a 32-fold energy increase and that the amplitude has a tenfold increase but I am still confused on how to get the energy. Would it be 32 times more? Please help!!

To calculate the difference in energy released between a 5.0 magnitude earthquake and a 4.0 magnitude earthquake, you are on the right track with understanding that each unit on the Richter scale corresponds to a significant increase in energy.

The Richter magnitude scale is logarithmic, meaning that each whole number increase corresponds to a tenfold increase in amplitude and a roughly 32-fold increase in energy.

To calculate the difference in energy release between a 5.0 and a 4.0 magnitude earthquake, we can calculate the energy ratio by considering the difference in magnitude between the two earthquakes.

In this case, the difference in magnitude is 5.0 - 4.0 = 1.0. Since each whole number increase equals roughly a 32-fold increase in energy, the 5.0 magnitude earthquake will have 32 times more energy than the 4.0 magnitude earthquake.

So, in answer to your question, the energy released in a 5.0 magnitude earthquake is about 32 times more than that of a 4.0 magnitude earthquake.