(Ã´r'dn-Ä­t) The distance of a point from the x-axis on a graph in the Cartesian coordinate system. It is measured parallel to the y-axis. For example, a point having coordinates (2,3) has 3 as its ordinate. Compare abscissa.
How well s waves travel depends on the medium's shear modulus, or rigidity. Liquids and gases have no rigidity so they do not allow s waves to propagate(travel). P waves depenâ¦d on the medium's bulk modulus, or compressibility, so they propagate in liquids and gases, as well as solids, since they are both compressible. 6 people found this useful.
Body waves. Body waves are of two types: compressional or primary (P) waves and shear or secondary (S) waves. P-and S-waves are called body waves because they can travel through the interior of a body such as the Earth's inner layers, from the focus of an earthquake to distant points on the surface.he seismic waves created as they move from the epicentre an earthquake vary. What is amazing is how fast they can travel: up to 2 miles per second in granite! Seismic waves can be classified into two basic types: body waves which travel through the Earth and surface waves, which travel along the Earth's surface.