P waves, in a solid material
Students were asked to stand in a straight line facing the same direction, to stand with arms out, elbows locked, and touching one another. They were aligning themselves like atoms would in a solid material, the Earth's crust for example.
Watch and see how the wave moves through these "atoms."
S waves, in a solid material
Students were then asked to face the wall and lock arms. Again, they are atoms locked together in a solid material, but this time a S wave moves through them. S waves are transverse waves and move in an S shape. similar to a snake.
Watch this video to see these "atoms" as a S wave travels through them.
How are these two types of waves different?
Which type of wave would you suspect causes more damage?
P waves, in a liquid material
Again, students were asked to form a straight line and face the same direction, to stand with arms out, elbows locked, and this time, NOT touching one another. Close, but NOT touching. In this case,
they were aligning themselves like atoms would in a LIQUID material. The atoms in a liquid are not "locked" into place and it's this physical property that allows a liquid to move about and take the shape of it's container.
How do you think a P wave will travel through the "atoms?"
The demonstration was run once more, but this time a S wave was sent through a liquid. Students stood side by side, arms on hips, but since they were liquid "atoms", they were not touching.
What do you think happened?
Can a S wave travel though a liquid?