Key Questions: |
- Starting at the center, what are the layers that make up the Earth?
- The Earth consists of a core, mantle and crust.
- What are the relative sizes of the core and mantle in how much of the diameter of the Earth they take up?
- The Core is about half the diameter of the Earth, with the Mantle making up the other half.
- How are P and S waves used to discover what the inner Earth is like?
- DESIRABLE:
Our knowledge of the structure of the Earth comes mainly from studying how the shockwaves from earthquakes (seismic waves) travel through it.
Earthquakes produce two types of waves that can travel through the Earth:
- Longitudinal faster travelling Primary, P (pressure) waves, which move through liquids as well as solids;
- Transverse slower travelling Secondary, S waves, which travel only through solids.
The S-wave shadow is what give rise to the idea of a core.
http://www.mrcorfe.com/KS4/Edexcel/Physics/P1-11-NowYouSeeIt/EarthStructure.php
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