Which would best model the motion of P waves?

Responses

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 - no response given

pulling one end of a spring and releasing it
pulling one end of a spring and releasing it - no response given

holding a ball up high and releasing it
holding a ball up high and releasing it - no response given

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

1 answer

To best model the motion of P waves (Primary waves), which are compressional waves that move through a medium by compressing and expanding it in the direction of the wave propagation, you should consider the following response:

Pulling one end of a spring and releasing it.

This action demonstrates the compressive and rarefactive nature of P waves, as the movement of the spring will show compression in one part of the spring followed by an expansion, similar to how P waves travel through materials. The other options do not effectively represent the compressional motion characteristic of P waves.