Question

A sandstone with P-wave velocity of 4km/s sits on top of a granite with a velocity of 5500m/s. The critical angle is approximately:

Answer 1

The critical angle can be determined using Snell's law and the velocities of the sandstone and granite. The critical angle in this case is approximately 61.93°.

Step-by-step explanation:

The critical angle can be determined using Snell's law, which relates the angles and velocities of waves as they pass from one medium to another. The formula for the critical angle is sin(critical angle) = (velocity of second medium)/(velocity of first medium).

In this case, the first medium is the sandstone with a P-wave velocity of 4 km/s and the second medium is the granite with a velocity of 5500 m/s. Plugging these values into the formula, we get sin(critical angle) = (5500 m/s)/(4000 m/s).

Using a scientific calculator, we can find the inverse sine of this value to get the critical angle, which is approximately 61.93°.