Year 9 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 2
Apply Worksheet
Learning Goals
Compare two
Complete the table to compare transverse waves and longitudinal waves.
| Feature | Transverse wave | Longitudinal wave |
|---|---|---|
| Direction of particle vibration relative to wave travel | ||
| Wave diagram features (what you see) | ||
| Two examples | ||
| Can it travel through a vacuum? (yes / no) | ||
| Associated seismic wave type |
Real-world context
During the 2010 Canterbury earthquake in New Zealand, seismologists at GNS Science observed that one type of seismic wave arrived at monitoring stations approximately 3 minutes before the other. By studying both wave arrivals, scientists confirmed details about Earth's internal structure — in particular, that Earth's outer core is liquid while the mantle is solid rock.
(a) Which type of seismic wave — P-waves or S-waves — arrived first, and why? Use your knowledge of longitudinal and transverse waves in your answer.
(b) Identify which seismic wave type is transverse and which is longitudinal. Explain how the direction of particle vibration is different for each.
(c) S-waves cannot travel through Earth's liquid outer core, but P-waves can. Using what you know about transverse and longitudinal waves, explain why this is, and what it tells scientists about the outer core.
Wrap Up
In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?