19.3.1. Body Waves

Try these first

1. 1.

   What are the two types of body waves?

   Hint

   Think about the first letter of each wave type.

2. 2.

   Which type of body wave is faster?

   Hint

   Think about which has the letter 'P' for primary.

3. 3.

   What are body waves?

   Hint

   Think about how these waves move inside the Earth.

4. 4.

   True or False: S waves can travel through liquids.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Remember the materials that each type of wave can travel through.

5. 5.

   Consider an earthquake's epicenter located 200 kilometers away from a seismic station. If P waves take about 5 minutes to arrive, calculate how long it would take for S waves to reach the station, considering S waves are approximately 60% slower than P waves.

   Hint

   Use speed ratios to understand how time relates to distance.

6. 6.

   Discuss the implications of P waves arriving before S waves in an earthquake context. How could this time difference influence public safety measures?

   Hint

   Think about the importance of advance notice during natural disasters.