Final answer:
The printed record of seismic activity produced by a seismometer is a seismogram, not a seismograph, which is the instrument itself. Seismographs are precise in measuring the arrival times of earthquakes' S-waves and P-waves, which is important in determining the distance to an earthquake's source and in monitoring for compliance with nuclear test bans.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a printed record of seismic activity produced by a seismometer is called a seismograph is false. A seismometer is the tool that detects the seismic waves, and the printed record of the seismic data it produces is called a seismogram. When discussing the precision of seismographs for measuring the arrival times of earthquakes, we learn that it is possible to steadily determine the distance to the earthquake's epicenter by utilizing the differing speeds of S-waves and P-waves. For example, if S-waves travel at 4.00 km/s and P-waves travel at 7.20 km/s, then the timing precision of 0.100 s allows for a certain level of accuracy in estimating the distance to the earthquake's source. However, any uncertainty in the propagation speeds of the S- and P-waves can significantly impact the accuracy of these measurements.
This precision is critical in applications such as monitoring for underground nuclear detonations, which can be essential for enforcing test bans. The sensitivity of seismic equipment to detect such events is important for international security and compliance with treaties. Notably, seismic waves from earthquakes or artificially induced explosions propagate as both longitudinal and transverse waves, with P-waves being the longitudinal component and S-waves being the transverse component, which allows geologists to determine the epicenter of the seismic event.