Which would best model the motion of P waves?(1 point)

Responses

attaching one end of rope to a chair and moving the other end up and down
attaching one end of rope to a chair and moving the other end up and down

holding a ball up high and releasing it
holding a ball up high and releasing it

attaching one end of rope to a chair and moving the other end from side to side
attaching one end of rope to a chair and moving the other end from side to side

pulling one end of a spring and releasing it

1 answer

The best model for the motion of P waves (primary waves), which are longitudinal waves, would be:

attaching one end of rope to a chair and moving the other end up and down.

However, if you are looking for a direct analogy that specifically resembles P waves, you might instead refer to pulling one end of a spring and releasing it. This is because P waves are compressional waves, similar to how compressions and rarefactions in a spring represent the movement of particles in the direction of wave travel.

So, while the first response describes a transverse wave (like S waves), the last option most accurately demonstrates the compressional aspect of P waves.