How do we know that the inner core is solid and the outer core is liquid?

It's going to be an extra credit question on my first exam and I could really use as much information as possible.
Question asked by: ericeric

Asked on: 20 Feb 2009

Scientists have used the fact about how earthquakes travel through the earth in order to deduce the state of matter of each part of the core.

By seeing how sound travels, how long it takes and measuring the vibrations at different parts of the world after major quakes, they can clearly find out how the sound has travelled. Now sound travels differently through different media such as solids and liquids, and it is through this they have deduced the nature of the core.
By: knowitall
Replied at: 22 Feb 2009
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core solid liquid outer inner

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