Contents
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