P-wave
Key Stage 4
Meaning
P-waves are longitudinal seismic waves that travel through the Earth during an earthquake.
About P-waves
- P-waves are known as primary waves because they travel faster than S-waves so they arrive at detectors first.
- P-waves are longitudinal because they are waves of compression moving through the Earth.
- P-waves can travel through both solids and liquids.
- P-waves are refracted as they move through the Earth because different layers of the Earth have different density.
- Seismic detectors can be used to observe P-waves at different locations on Earth during an earthquake and this information can be used to determine the structure of the Earth.
References
AQA
- P wave, pages 210-11, GCSE Physics; Student Book, Collins, AQA
- P-waves, page 186, GCSE Physics; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
- P-waves, page 192, GCSE Physics, Hodder, AQA
- P-waves, page 90, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- P-waves, pages 285, 286, GCSE Physics; The Complete 9-1 Course for AQA, CGP, AQA
- P-waves, pages 62-63, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel