Question

The diagram below shows three types of earthquake waves, labeled A, B, and C at different time intervals

Which of these statements best compares the three waves? (2 points)

Wave B can travel through liquids but Wave A cannot travel through liquids.

Wave A can travel through liquids but Wave B cannot travel through liquids.

Wave B is reflected by the liquid core but Wave C is transmitted through the core.

Wave C is reflected by the liquid core but Wave B is transmitted through the core.

Answer 1

Wave A can travel through liquids but Wave B cannot travel through liquids.

Step-by-step explanation:

We need to identify the waves first:

On a seismograph, the first wave to arrive a Seismic station are the P waves. The Primary or P waves are the ones at A.

The waves at B are the secondary waves that arrives later at the station. These secondary waves or S waves are shear waves.

P waves are faster than S waves and they are the first waves picked on a Seismic station.

P waves can pass through any material be it solid, liquid or gas.

S waves are shear waves and only pass through solid medium. As liquids are not capable of shearing, they get cut off in liquid interphase.

Both S and P waves are elastic in nature. They are both body waves.