Physics Waves MDCAT 2018
PMDC Verified Question 102 of 125
A shock wave is produced due to an earthquake which makes the building move in the direction of the shock wave. Which progressive wave would this be?
A
Longitudinal wave
B
Material wave
C
Transverse wave
D
Particle wave
Tap any option to test your recall and reveal the step-by-step Propolis autopsy.

Propolis Cognitive Error Autopsy

Official Correct Choice:
Option A: Longitudinal wave
Concept:

Waves are classified based on the direction of medium oscillation relative to the direction of wave propagation.

Solution:

  • The question states that the building moves strictly "in the direction of the shock wave".


  • When the particles of the medium (or the building, in this case) oscillate parallel to the direction of energy transport, it defines a longitudinal wave.


  • In seismology, these are known as Primary (P) waves, which are compressional/longitudinal in nature.


Why other options are incorrect:

Transverse waves (S-waves) cause oscillations perpendicular to the propagation path, which would shake the building side-to-side, not just in the wave's direction.

Quality & Fidelity Assurance: Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.

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