The Richter scale is used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes. Developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter, this logarithmic scale quantifies the amount of energy released at the earthquake's source. Each whole number increase on the scale corresponds to a tenfold increase in measured amplitude and roughly 31.6 times more energy release. It primarily provides a way to evaluate the strength of earthquakes, which helps in determining their potential damage and impact on communities. Despite being replaced by more advanced scales, the Richter scale remains widely recognized and symbolic of earthquake measurement.