Plate Tectonics Answer Key
Explore how tectonic plates move and interact to create earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain ranges.
Prior Knowledge Questions
Q1.What is the outermost layer of the Earth called?
The outermost layer is called the crust (or lithosphere when combined with the upper mantle).
Q2.What causes tectonic plates to move?
Tectonic plates move due to convection currents in the mantle caused by heat from Earth's core.
Q3.Name the three types of plate boundaries.
Convergent (plates collide), divergent (plates move apart), and transform (plates slide past each other).
Activity A – Plate Boundaries
Q1.What landform is created when two continental plates collide?
Mountain ranges are formed when two continental plates collide (e.g., the Himalayas).
Q2.What happens at a divergent boundary?
At divergent boundaries, plates move apart and new crust is formed as magma rises to fill the gap.
Related Gizmos
More Earth & Space Science gizmos coming soon.