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An S-wave (secondary or shear) can move through

A. solids
B. liquids
C. gases
D. all of the above
E. none of the above

1 Answer

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Final answer:

An S-wave can move through solids because they require the material's ability to resist shear, which is a property of solids; they cannot travel through liquids or gases.

Step-by-step explanation:

An S-wave (secondary or shear wave) can move through solids but not through liquids or gases. This is because S-waves require a material's resistance to shear and deformation, which is a property of solids.

When earthquakes produce seismic waves, they include both longitudinal (P-waves) and transverse (S-waves).

P-waves can travel through liquids because they involve compressions and rarefactions, but S-waves cannot travel through liquids or gases as they rely on shearing motion, which cannot occur in these states of matter.

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