Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-elasticity-and-plasticity-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2010/2/b/solution

Apply the wave ansatz to the oscillatory displacement about a static body-force balance, or equivalently to the zero-body-force homogeneous equation. The parallel and perpendicular polarizations have speeds
The first is longitudinal and the second transverse. A wave family is dispersive when its phase speed varies with wavenumber. In each of these homogeneous bulk families, , so both are nondispersive and group and phase speeds coincide.
The positivity assumptions imply , hence . Therefore : longitudinal waves travel faster.

New to topics? Read the docs here!