Earthquakes and Seismic Waves Quiz

What are earthquakes?

• the shaking or cracking that results from faults slipping or breaking
• the shaking that results from people colliding
• someone shaking dirt

What are seismic waves?

• the best waves for surfing
• waves in someone's hair
• a type of sound waves the travel through the air
• vibrations that are similar to sound waves and travel through the earth

What determines the speed and path of seismic waves?

• the strength of the seismic waves
• the material it travels through
• the shape of the waves

What is the focus?

• The point on the surface where rock breaks under stress
• The area beneath Earth's surface where rock breaks under stress
• The point where most damage takes place in a city
• The point were scientists focus their lens

Where is the epicenter located?

• below the focus
• 500 km from the focus
• directly above the focus
• a building in downtown Houston

Which wave is it? I compress and expand like an accordion and can travel through both liquid and solids.

• P Waves
• S Waves
• Surface Waves

Which wave is it? I move similar to waves in water, in a circular motion. I'm the slowest of the three waves, but I can still cause serious ground movements.

• P Waves
• S Waves
• Surface Waves

Which wave is it? I vibrate side to side like a metronome or up and down like an elevator. I can only travel through liquids.

• P Waves
• S Waves
• Surface Waves

This scale measure the amount of damage or shaking felt and does not use any instruments, just people's observations.

• Modified Mercalli scale
• Richter scale
• Moment Magnitude scale

This scale measure the magnitude (size) of an earthquake, and uses a seismograph to measure.

• Modified Mercalli scale
• Richter scale
• Moment Magnitude scale