Identical earthquakes cannot have different Mercalli readings: true or false?

This statement is probably false, but the question is a little ambiguous.

If the statement intends "identical" to mean that the earthquakes are literally identical in all respects, then the earthquakes will have identical Mercalli scale readings as well. But this is tautological and uninteresting.

I'm assuming that what the teacher means are tectonically identical earthquakes, occurring with identical force in identical faults but at different times and places.

In this case, a number of...

This statement is probably false, but the question is a little ambiguous.

If the statement intends "identical" to mean that the earthquakes are literally identical in all respects, then the earthquakes will have identical Mercalli scale readings as well. But this is tautological and uninteresting.

I'm assuming that what the teacher means are tectonically identical earthquakes, occurring with identical force in identical faults but at different times and places.

In this case, a number of effects outside the earthquake itself can alter the Mercalli scale rating. Unlike the Richter scale, which measures the physical force behind an earthquake, the Mercalli scale measures the visible effects of an earthquake on people, terrain, and construction. Therefore, factors such as the epicenter's location relative to populated areas, the engineering of local buildings, and the physical composition of local soil and bedrock could transform an earthquake of identical magnitude into a minor nuisance or a major disaster, moving it far down or up the Mercalli scale.