Plate Motion Test Practice

What is Earth's outer layer made of?

• Sand and water.

• Hard, solid rock.

• Underneath the soil, hard, solid rock. Underneath the ocean, sand.

• Water.

Which diagram shows what happens when two plates move away from each other (divergent)?

• Diagram A: A new plate fills in the gap.

• Diagram B: Sand and dirt fill in the gap.

• Diagram C: Ocean water fills in the gap.

• Diagram D: Soft rock rises, hardens, and adds to the plate edges.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

South America and India are on different plates. Why are the Lystrosaurus fossils found so far apart, with an ocean between them?

• The plates slowly moved apart as new rock added to their edges over millions of years.

• The plates floated apart across the ocean.

• The plates slowly moved apart as new plates formed between them over millions of years.

• Earthquakes sometimes pushed the plates apart, adding new rock to their edges.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which diagram shows what happens when two plates move toward each other (convergent)?

• Diagram A: Two plates hit each other, break into pieces and form sand.

• Diagram B: Two plates push together, causing their edges to bend up.

• Diagram C: One plate sinks beneath the other into the soft rock below.

• Diagram D: One plate sinks beneath the other into the ocean.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Patterns on this map tell us that...

• volcanoes and earthquakes can damage buildings and hurt people.

• volcanoes and earthquakes happen in similar areas.

• volcanoes and earthquakes happen in random areas.

• volcanoes and earthquakes happen in this order: volcano, earthquake, volcano, earthquake, and so on.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

Africa and Europe are on different plates. Why is Africa closer to Europe now than in the past?

• The plates floated toward each other across the ocean.

• Earthquakes sometimes pushed the plates together, and one plate slid under the other into soft rock.

• The plates moved toward each other over millions of years, and broke into smaller pieces when they collided.

• The plates moved toward each other over millions of years, and one plate slid under the other into soft rock.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which diagram shows a cross section?

• Diagram A

• Diagram B

• Diagram C

• Diagram D