When an earthquake occurs, two types of sound waves are generated and travel thr

Question

When an earthquake occurs, two types of sound waves are generated and travel through the earth. The primary, or P, wave has a speed of about 8.0 km/s and the secondary, or S, wave has a speed of about 4.5 km/s. A seismograph, located some distance away, records the arrival of the P wave and then, 78s later, records the arrival of the S wave. Assuming that the waves travel in a straight line, how far (in terms of m) is the seismograph from the earthquake?

please show work so I can understand how to answer this.

Explanation / Answer

Times = distance (d)(km) / wave velocity (km/s)

Tp = d/8.0
Ts = d/4.50

Ts -Tp = 78
d(1/4.50 - 1/8.0) = 78
d(0.097) = 78.. .. d(km) = 78/ 0.097 .. .. .. ?d = 804.12km = 8.04X10^5 m

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