Below 3.0 - These quakes range from micro earthquakes to quakes that may cause ripples in a pond. They occur approximately 9,000 times per day but you won't feel them - they are too small.

3.0 - You may notice a hanging object swing a little. It's unlikely you will feel anything unless you are sitting still or lying down.

4.0 - Feels like a large truck passing by or even the shaking caused by an explosion nearby.

5.0 - Unmistakable as an earthquake, this can rattle dishes, break windows, and rock cars. Poorly constructed buildings are at high risk of structural damage.

6.0 - You can still stand up, but your books and pictures may fall off the shelves and walls. Your furniture may move and your walls may crack. Outside, the roads may buckle. Buildings' walls may collapse and crack.

7.0 - This would be worse than riding a rough subway train car while standing. You would have difficulty keeping your balance as the earth cracked and buckled. Poorly built buildings are likely to collapse.

Above 8.0 - Incomparable to any amount of shaking you might experience in your life normally. This level of shaking will cause many buildings and some bridges to collapse. Objects will literally fly through the air as the earth jerks violently under them and swallows some things entirely.