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Approximately how far is an observer from an earthquake epicenter if he observed a p wave for 8 minutes after the earthquake?

User JPaulino
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Final answer:

The observer is approximately 20 kilometers away from the earthquake epicenter.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to determine the distance to the epicenter of an earthquake, you can use the arrival times of the S-wave and P-wave. The S-wave travels at 6 km/s and the P-wave travels at 2 km/s. The time difference between the two waves at a certain point is given as 10 seconds. We can use this information to calculate the distance.

The formula to calculate the distance to the epicenter is:

Distance = Velocity x Time Difference

Plugging in the values, we get:

Distance = 2 km/s x 10 s = 20 km

Therefore, the observer is approximately 20 kilometers away from the earthquake epicenter.

User YuvrajsinhJadeja
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