Mechanical Waves Recorded after an Earthquake

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem related to mechanical waves, specifically seismic waves recorded after an earthquake. The original poster presents a scenario involving the time difference between the arrival of transverse and longitudinal waves at a seismic station, along with their respective speeds.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between speed, distance, and time, questioning how these factors interact in the context of the problem. There is an emphasis on guiding the original poster to reflect on their understanding and approach rather than providing direct solutions.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants offering guidance on the importance of demonstrating prior thought on the problem. There is a focus on steering the conversation through questions rather than providing answers, indicating a productive direction in the dialogue.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the importance of adhering to forum guidelines, which require that students show their thought process when seeking help. This reflects a constraint on the type of assistance that can be provided in the discussion.

Harli
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New poster has been reminded to show their work on schoolwork problems
Homework Statement
A seismic station records the transverse wave 10s after recording the longitudinal wave. Find the distance of the seismic station from the center of the earthquake.

V transverse=300m/s
V longitudinal=500m/s
Relevant Equations
f=1/T or f=N/t
λ = v/f
.
 
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Hint: How do speed, distance, and time relate to each other?
 
Harli said:
Homework Statement:: A seismic station records the transverse wave 10s after recording the longitudinal wave. Find the distance of the seismic station from the center of the earthquake.

V transverse=300m/s
V longitudinal=500m/s
Relevant Equations:: f=1/T or f=N/t
λ = v/f

.
Let, V transverse be v1 and V longitudinal be v2.
If 'd' is the distance of the seismic station from the center of the earthquake, we have -
d/v1 - d/v2 = 10...solve for d!
 
raawe said:
Let, V transverse be v1 and V longitudinal be v2.
If 'd' is the distance of the seismic station from the center of the earthquake, we have -
d/v1 - d/v2 = 10...solve for d!
Hi @raawe. Welcome to PF. You have made the same mistake that I did when I arrived here!

If anyone asks for help with homework, they need to show that they have already thought about about the problem. See point 4 in the guidelines: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/homework-help-guidelines-for-students-and-helpers.686781/

So we typically 'steer' people, rather than directly solve their problem. Often that involves a series of questions and answers. That's why @Doc Al replied as in Post #2.
 
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Steve4Physics said:
Hi @raawe. Welcome to PF. You have made the same mistake that I did when I arrived here!

If anyone asks for help with homework, they need to show that they have already thought about about the problem. See point 4 in the guidelines: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/homework-help-guidelines-for-students-and-helpers.686781/

So we typically 'steer' people, rather than directly solve their problem. Often that involves a series of questions and answers. That's why @Doc Al replied as in Post #2.
My apologies. I will take from now.
 
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