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Charles F. Richter Facts & Worksheets

American physicist and seismologist Charles Francis Richter is best known for developing the Richter magnitude scale used for measuring earthquakes.

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American physicist and seismologist Charles Francis Richter is best known for developing the Richter magnitude scale, which was used to measure earthquake size until the moment the magnitude scale was developed in 1979.

See the fact file below for more information on Charles F. Richter, or you can download our 24-page Charles F. Richter worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

  • On April 26, 1900, in the small Ohio village of Overpeck, Fred W. Kinsinger and Lillian Anna Richter welcomed their son Charles Francis Richter into the world. 
  • His parents divorced when he was a small child. Richter’s early years were spent at home with his mother and grandfather.
  • Richter attended excellent schools while growing up. He was sent by his grandfather to a prep school for the University of Southern California. 
  • Prior to receiving his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) in 1928, he graduated from Stanford University in 1920 with a degree in physics. He developed an interest in seismology, the study of earthquakes and the waves they cause.
  • He accepted a job offer from the Washington, D.C.-based Carnegie Institute in 1928. Richter, however, decided to enroll at the California Institute of Technology in order to earn a doctorate in theoretical physics rather than taking advantage of this chance.

CAREER

  • He was given the opportunity to run the Seismology Laboratory in Pasadena, California, following his graduation from Cal Tech. He collaborated closely with Beno Gutenberg there. The pair researched earthquakes in order to develop a system for calculating and comparing them.
  • A consistent scale for comparing the relative proportions of earthquake sources was developed by Richter and Gutenberg in 1932. 
  • He gave this measurement apparatus his name. His employment began in 1952 at the University of California, where he later rose to the rank of professor and spent the rest of his life.
  • Richter was a Fulbright scholar who traveled to Japan in 1959 and 1960. By creating building rules for earthquake-prone locations, he started getting interested in earthquake engineering at this point in his career. 
  • As a result of Richter’s awareness campaigns, the Los Angeles city government removed numerous embellishments and cornices from public buildings in the 1960s. Following the earthquake in San Fernando in 1971, the city credited Richter’s warnings with saving many lives. 

THE RICHTER MAGNITUDE SCALE

  • The most popular scale used to quantify earthquakes is the Richter magnitude scale, sometimes known as the Richter scale.
  • The scale was created in 1935  by Charles F. Richter of the California Institute of Technology as a mathematical tool to compare earthquake size.
  • When Charles Richter and another Caltech professor, Beno Gutenberg, collaborated to develop the scale to determine the size of earthquakes in 1935, their names became synonymous with earthquakes.
  • Dr. Richter insisted that calling it the Richter scale would be an underestimation of Dr. Gutenberg’s contribution. He called it “the scale,” “the magnitude scale,” or even “that confounded scale,” but it eventually became known as the Richter scale in seismology.
  • The magnitude of an earthquake, or the amount of energy released during an earthquake, is measured using the Richter scale. The Richter scale, however, can not offer precise estimations for great-magnitude earthquakes.
  • On the other hand, the Richter scale could provide a precise evaluation of earthquake strength. There is no need to be concerned about accuracy because this is a mathematical calculation rather than an actual scale. 
  • While an earthquake was happening, he would use a seismograph to capture the actual ground movement. Because of his early interest in astronomy, Richter decided to use the term “magnitude” to describe an earthquake’s power; astronomers use the word to describe the brightness of stars. 
  • On the other side, Gutenberg proposed a logarithmic scale, which would make an earthquake of magnitude 7 ten times greater than one of magnitude 6, one hundred times stronger than one of magnitude 5, and one thousand times stronger than one of magnitude 4.
  • The Richter magnitude is determined by measuring the height of the largest wave recorded at a given distance from the seismic source. Modifications are made to account for differences in the distances between the earthquake’s epicenter and the various seismographs. 
  • Each order of magnitude is 10 times more intense than the previous one since the Richter scale is a base-10 logarithmic scale. To put it another way, a two is ten times more intense than a one, and a three is one hundred times stronger. The Richter scale is an example of an increase in wave amplitude.

PERSONAL LIFE

  • Charles Richter wed Lillian Brand, a creative writing instructor from Los Angeles, in 1928.
  • Richter was a practicing, outspoken naturalist. He and his late wife traveled extensively, visiting numerous nudist settlements. 
  • At his retirement party, the “Quidnuncs,” a group of Caltech coworkers, performed and sang the ballad-style song “Richter Scale,” which described earthquakes in American history. At first, Richter was apprehensive about the song because he felt it diminished science. Kent Clark, the composer, admitted that Richter eventually liked the song in a 1989 interview. 
  • In Pasadena, California, Richter passed away from congestive heart failure on September 30, 1985. He is interred in the Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, California.

OTHER WORKS

  • “Seismicity of the Earth,” a textbook published in 1941 by Richter and Gutenberg, later underwent revisions and developed into a classic reference work. While they worked, they concentrated on locating the epicenters of all large earthquakes and categorizing them by location.
  • At a time when information on the magnitude and location of earthquakes was limited, Richter was a pioneer in seismological research. Several experts believe that he contributed more to science than the Richter scale by writing two textbooks still used as references in the field. 
  • A lifelong professional, Richter had had a seismograph placed in his living room and was open to questions on earthquakes at all hours.
  • Richter also contributed to the creation of the Southern California Seismic Array, a system of sensors that not only track earthquake intensity and origin but also frequency. 
  • When Richter started pushing for stringent seismic building regulations and adequate education for those who lived in earthquake-prone areas, he received his start in the field of earthquake engineering. 

Charles F. Richter Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about Charles F. Richter across 24 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about Charles F. Richter. American physicist and seismologist Charles Francis Richter is best known for developing the Richter magnitude scale, which was used to measure earthquake size until the moment the magnitude scale was developed in 1979.

Charles F. Richter Worksheets
Charles F. Richter Worksheets
Charles F. Richter Worksheets

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Charles F. Richter Facts
  2. Richter Summarized
  3. Quakes Before Richter
  4. The Richter Scale
  5. Experiencing an Earthquake
  6. Earthquake Alert!
  7. Government Response
  8. Richter Magnitude at Max
  9. Richter Reading
  10. Words to Live by
  11. The World Remembers

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Charles F. Richter?

Charles F. Richter, full name Charles Francis Richter, was an American seismologist and physicist who is best known for developing the Richter scale, a logarithmic scale used to measure the magnitude or size of earthquakes.

When was Charles F. Richter born?

Charles F. Richter was born on April 26, 1900.

Where was Charles F. Richter born?

Charles F. Richter was born in Hamilton, Ohio, United States.

What did Charles F. Richter study?

Charles F. Richter obtained his bachelor’s degree in physics from Stanford University and his PhD in theoretical physics from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He later joined the faculty at Caltech as a professor of seismology.

What is Charles F. Richter’s most famous contribution?

Charles F. Richter’s most famous contribution is the development of the Richter scale, which he created in 1935 along with Beno Gutenberg. The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale that measures the magnitude of an earthquake based on the amplitude of seismic waves recorded on seismographs. It revolutionized the field of seismology and became the standard method for measuring earthquake magnitude worldwide.

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