Final answer:
The statement about a one-story building undergoing harmonic ground motion is true. Buildings can resonate with their natural frequency during an earthquake, causing amplification of vibrations that can lead to structural failure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement regarding a one-story building undergoing harmonic ground motion during an earthquake is true. During an earthquake, buildings can be subjected to ground motions that are essentially harmonic. These oscillations can potentially resonate with the building's own natural frequency of vibration. If the seismic waves have a frequency that matches the building’s natural frequency, resonance can occur, leading to the possibility of the building experiencing catastrophic failure. This is due to the amplification of the building's oscillations at resonance, where the amplitude of the vibrations could increase significantly. The concept of standing waves also plays a role, as certain building heights can set up standing waves that correspond to their height, causing more damage to buildings whose height matches the wavelength of the seismic waves.
It's important to note that not all buildings will react the same way to earthquake vibrations due to differences in construction, materials, height, and the natural frequency of each building. Moreover, the effect of constructive and destructive interference of earthquake waves can result in different levels of damage in different locations.