Final answer:
The Richter scale measures the magnitude of an earthquake, which is related to the energy released. Each whole number increase on the Richter scale represents a 10-fold increase in amplitude and approximately 31.6 times more energy released.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Richter scale measures the energy produced by an earthquake. The numbers on the Richter scale, such as 2.3, 4.0, 6.1, and 7.0, represent the magnitude of the earthquake. Magnitude is a measure of the amplitude of seismic waves generated by an earthquake, and it relates to the energy released. The scale is logarithmic, meaning that each whole number increase on the Richter scale represents a 10-fold increase in amplitude and approximately 31.6 times more energy released.