Earthquake Graphing Exercise
Complete the following assignment in one cohesive Microsoft Word document. (FIT TO ONE PAGE!)
You will put this assignment in the _classDragNDrop folder when finished. (Due at block period- 1/16 or 1/17)
Data was collected at 8 different seismographs around the globe for an earthquake that occurred in Alaska.
The data was numbered 1-8 according to distance from the earthquake. The distances from the earthquake were
calculated. The distances were 10, 20, 50, 100, 150, 200, 300, and 450 kilometers. The times that it took for
the s-waves to reach each seismograph were recorded. It took 2.3, 4.6, 11.6, 23.2, 34.9, 46.5, 69.8, and 104.7
seconds for the s-waves to reach each station.
1. Put the above data in table format in Microsoft Word.
Make a table using the table tool in Microsoft Word.
Your table should consist of the following:
One column for the data number (seismograph number)
One column for the distances and
One column for the times
Your table must have lines separating each row and column.
Label the units in the TOP ROW of the table only.
2. Graph the data using Excel.
You can copy the table you made in Word and paste it in Excel.
Your graph should have:
All the characteristics of a good graph (Labels, Title, Units…)
Vertical and Horizontal Gridlines
APPROPRIATE number labels on each axis (10-20)
MAKE THIS GRAPH USEFUL
You will have to copy the graph from Excel and paste it in the Microsoft Word document
3. Using the graph, type the answers only to the following questions. You do not have to use complete
sentences.
The slope of a line is a measurement of how steep a line on a graph is. The equation for the slope between two
points is the change in the y coordinate divided by the change in the x coordinate. (Slope = ∆y / ∆x)
a. What are the coordinates of data point 1?
(Write you answer in the format (x-coordinate, y-coordinate).)
b. What are the coordinates of data point 2?
c. What is the slope between data point 1 and data point 2?
d. Is the slope about the same for this whole graph? (slope between points 1 and 8)
e. What does the slope of this graph tell you?
(HINT: What would the units be on your answer to c?)
f. Using the graph, approximately how far away is the epicenter if it took 60 sec for the s-waves to
get to the seismograph?
g. Using the graph, approximately how long would it take s-waves to get to the seismograph if the
epicenter is 350 km away?
h. What would account for a slight difference in speed of the s-waves?
(HINT: Think about the Seismic Wave lab with the Slinkeys.)