Question

From the graph in the lecture, how far does an S wave travel in 10 minutes?
*
20 points
Captionless Image
1000 km
3000 km
6800 km

Answer 1

To determine how far an S wave travels in 10 minutes, we need to know its typical speed. S waves (secondary waves) generally travel at speeds of about 3.5 km/s to 4.5 km/s in the Earth's crust and upper mantle.

Calculating the distance for different speeds:

1. **At 3.5 km/s**:
\[
\text{Distance} = \text{Speed} \times \text{Time} = 3.5 \text{ km/s} \times (10 \text{ min} \times 60 \text{ s/min}) = 3.5 \text{ km/s} \times 600 \text{ s} = 2100 \text{ km}
\]

2. **At 4.5 km/s**:
\[
\text{Distance} = \text{Speed} \times \text{Time} = 4.5 \text{ km/s} \times (10 \text{ min} \times 60 \text{ s/min}) = 4.5 \text{ km/s} \times 600 \text{ s} = 2700 \text{ km}
\]

Based on these calculations, the S wave would travel between approximately 2100 km and 2700 km in 10 minutes. The provided options are 1000 km, 3000 km, and 6800 km. Therefore, if we consider approximate values:

- The closest option is **3000 km**.

Thus, the answer is **3000 km**.