What is the difference between P waves and S waves?

P waves can travel through any media (including liquid and gas), but S waves can only travel through solid media like rock. P waves travel faster than S waves. The difference in travel times can be used to determine the epicenter of the earthquake.

What are three differences between P and S waves?

Body waves are the waves that can travel through the layers of the earth. They are the fastest waves and as a result, the first waves that seismographs can record.
Difference between s waves and p waves.

What is the difference between P wave and S wave which one travels faster?

P-waves and S-waves are body waves that propagate through the planet. P-waves travel 60% faster than S-waves on average because the interior of the Earth does not react the same way to both of them. P-waves are compression waves that apply a force in the direction of propagation.

What is the difference between P waves and S waves quizlet?

What are the differences between P waves, S waves, and surface waves? P waves are the fastest and have the lowest amplitudes; S waves are the second fastest and have the second lowest amplitudes; surface waves are the slowest and have the highest amplitudes.

What difference between P waves and S waves was used to find the earthquake’s epicenter?

As the P and S waves travel out from an earthquake the P waves get progressively farther ahead of the S waves. Therefore, the farther a seismic recording station is from the earthquake epicenter the greater will be the difference in time of arrival between the P and S wave.

What is the major difference between P and S waves How do we use P waves and S waves to determine what is inside the earth quizlet?

Terms in this set (11)

P waves can travel through solids and liquids. S waves are transverse, and they are slower than P waves. They travel through solids only. Seismic records can be used to determine the location of the epicentre of the earthquake.

What is the major difference between P and S waves How do we use P waves and S waves to determine what is inside the Earth?

P waves can travel through liquid and solids and gases, while S waves only travel through solids. Scientists use this information to help them determine the structure of Earth. For example, if an earthquake occurs on one side of Earth, seismometers around the globe can measure the resulting S and P waves.

What is the difference between the epicenter and the focus?

The focus is the place inside Earth’s crust where an earthquake originates. The point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus is the epicenter. When energy is released at the focus, seismic waves travel outward from that point in all directions.

Why do the P and S waves at an earthquake epicenter make the ground shake differently from the ground in an area far from the epicenter group of answer choices?

Why do P and S-waves at an earthquake epicenter make the ground shake differently from the ground in an area far from the epicenter? P and S-waves move in the direction that the earthquake is traveling.

What is the difference between the arrival time of P and S waves?

S waves are indicated by an abrupt change in wave amplitude. In the seismogram below, we see that the S wave arrived at about 34 sec after the P wave arrived. This time difference is called the S-P interval and is the lag time between the P and S wave.

What happens to the difference in the arrival time between P wave and S wave as the distance from the earthquake increases?

S waves, which travel at about half the speed of P waves, arrive later. A seismic station close to the earthquake records P waves and S waves in quick succession. With increasing distance from the earthquake the time difference between the arrival of the P waves and the arrival of the S waves increases.

What does P and S waves stand for?

Compressional waves are also called P-Waves, (P stands for “primary”) because they are always the first to arrive. They gave us the first jolt last Friday. Shear waves propagate more slowly through the Earth than compressional waves and arrive second, hence their name S- or secondary waves.