Question
Scientists have determined that Earth's interior has layers with different properties. One property is that the inner core is solid. Which of the following statements can be used as evidence to support this property?
A.
Seismographs that are far from the epicenter of an earthquake detect P waves much sooner than S waves.
B.
After an earthquake, P waves are detected on the opposite side of Earth but S waves are not.
C.
During an earthquake, both P waves and S waves travel away from the focus through the interior of Earth.
D.
P waves do not refract based on the density of the medium it is traveling in, but S waves do.
A.
Seismographs that are far from the epicenter of an earthquake detect P waves much sooner than S waves.
B.
After an earthquake, P waves are detected on the opposite side of Earth but S waves are not.
C.
During an earthquake, both P waves and S waves travel away from the focus through the interior of Earth.
D.
P waves do not refract based on the density of the medium it is traveling in, but S waves do.
Answers
GPT-5 mini
B
Explanation: S waves cannot travel through liquids, while P waves can. The fact that P waves are detected on the far side of Earth but S waves are not indicates a liquid region in the core (which is why S waves are blocked). (More detailed evidence that the inner core specifically is solid comes from careful P‑wave travel‑time and conversion studies showing a speed increase in the inner core consistent with a solid.)
Explanation: S waves cannot travel through liquids, while P waves can. The fact that P waves are detected on the far side of Earth but S waves are not indicates a liquid region in the core (which is why S waves are blocked). (More detailed evidence that the inner core specifically is solid comes from careful P‑wave travel‑time and conversion studies showing a speed increase in the inner core consistent with a solid.)