NGS Plate Tectonics - Section 2: Convection in the Mantle Slide

Convection currents in the mantle are responsible for ____.

• Weather patterns

• Ocean currents

• Plate tectonics

• Solar flares

Answer explanation

Imagine a pot of boiling water:

• Heat from the stove: Just like the stove heats the water at the bottom of the pot, the Earth's core heats the rock in the mantle.

• Hot water rises: The hot water at the bottom of the pot becomes less dense and rises to the surface. Similarly, the hot rock in the mantle becomes less dense and rises towards the Earth's crust.  

• Cool water sinks: As the hot water reaches the surface, it cools down, becomes denser, and sinks back to the bottom. The same happens with the hot rock in the mantle – it cools down near the crust and sinks back down.  

• This creates a cycle: This continuous cycle of hot material rising and cool material sinking creates a circular motion called a convection current.

How this relates to plate tectonics:

• The mantle moves the plates: These convection currents in the mantle are like a giant conveyor belt, slowly moving the huge plates that make up the Earth's surface.  

• Plate movement causes changes: This movement of the plates can cause earthquakes, volcanoes, and the formation of mountains and ocean basins.  

So, the answer is Plate Tectonics.

Convection currents in the mantle are responsible for the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates.

 

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The diagram illustrates the concept of ____.

• Conduction

• Convection

• Radiation

• Reflection

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The axis of rotation in the diagram affects ____.

• The speed of tectonic plates

• The direction of convection currents

• The temperature of the mantle

• The color of the Earth's surface.

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What are the three types of heat transfer?

• Radiation, Conduction, Convection

• Radiation, Conduction, Evaporation

• Radiation, Convection, Sublimation

• Conduction, Convection, Evaporation

Answer explanation

Imagine heat as a way of spreading energy! There are three main ways heat can travel:

1. Conduction: This is like a chain reaction! When you touch a hot pan, the heat from the pan travels through the metal to your hand. The heat is transferred directly from one part of the object to another. Think of it like passing a ball down a line – the energy (heat) moves from one person to the next.

2. Convection: This is like a hot air balloon! Heat causes liquids and gases (like air and water) to move. Hot air rises because it's lighter than cold air. This creates currents that carry the heat with them. That's why hot air balloons float – the hot air inside makes them lighter than the surrounding cold air.

3. Radiation: This is like sunshine! Heat can travel through empty space as waves of energy. That's how you feel warm from the sun even though you're not touching it. The sun's heat travels through space as radiation and warms the Earth.

In simple terms:

• Conduction: Heat travels through touching.

• Convection: Heat travels with moving fluids.

• Radiation: Heat travels like waves.

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Radiation involves the transfer of energy through ______.

• solids

• liquids

• empty space

• gases

Answer explanation

Radiation involves the transfer of energy through ______.

• empty space

Explanation:

Radiation is like how the sun warms the Earth. Even though there's nothing between the sun and the Earth (mostly empty space), the sun's heat travels to us as energy waves.

Think of it like this:

• Shining a flashlight: The light (which is a form of energy) travels through the air to reach the wall.

• Microwaving popcorn: The microwave uses radiation to heat the kernels, even though they're not touching the microwave itself.

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What happens to a metal spoon when placed in a pot of hot soup?

• It cools down

• It heats up

• It stays the same temperature

• It melts

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What causes heat transfer by convection?

• Differences in temperature and density within a fluid

• Differences in color and texture

• Differences in size and shape

• Differences in weight and height.

Answer explanation

What causes heat transfer by convection?

• Differences in temperature and density within a fluid

Explanation:

• Imagine a pot of water on the stove: The heat from the stove makes the water at the bottom of the pot hotter.

• Hot water rises: When water gets hot, it expands and becomes less dense. This means it's lighter and floats upwards.

• Cold water sinks: The cooler water at the top of the pot is denser and heavier, so it sinks down.

• This creates a cycle: This constant movement of hot water rising and cold water sinking creates a circular flow called a convection current. This movement is what transfers the heat throughout the water.

Key takeaway: Convection happens because of differences in temperature within a fluid (like water or air), which cause differences in density and create this circular movement.

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When the surface water starts warming up, it becomes ______ and moves to the top.

• less dense

• more dense

• lighter

• heavier

Answer explanation

When the surface water starts warming up, it becomes ______ and moves to the top.

• less dense

Here's the fun way to explain it:

Imagine you have a bunch of beach balls in a pool.

• Beach balls are like warm water: They're light and float easily.

• Cold water is like a bowling ball: It's heavy and sinks to the bottom.

When the surface water warms up, it's like the beach balls. It becomes lighter and less "clumpy" (less dense). This makes it float upwards, while the colder, denser water sinks down.

This movement of water creates currents, which are like underwater rivers that help to circulate heat and nutrients throughout the ocean!

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What is the primary role of convection currents in the Earth's mantle?

• To cool the Earth's core

• To move the lithosphere

• To create earthquakes

• To form mountains.

Answer explanation

The primary role of convection currents in the Earth's mantle is:

• To move the lithosphere

Imagine the Earth's mantle like a giant pot of boiling soup.

• Hot stuff rises: Deep inside, the rock gets super hot. This hot rock is less dense, so it rises towards the surface.

• Cool stuff sinks: As the hot rock reaches the surface, it cools down. This makes it denser, so it sinks back down towards the core.

• This creates a cycle: This constant rising and sinking of hot and cold rock creates a circular flow called a convection current.

Now, here's the cool part:

• The Earth's surface isn't solid: It's broken into giant pieces called tectonic plates.

• Convection currents move the plates: These convection currents in the mantle are like a giant conveyor belt, slowly pushing and pulling these tectonic plates around.

So, in a nutshell: Convection currents in the mantle are the main reason why the Earth's continents are constantly moving!

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Which layer of the Earth is directly above the asthenosphere?

• Inner Core

• Outer Core

• Lithosphere

• Crust

Answer explanation

The layer of the Earth directly above the asthenosphere is the Lithosphere.

• Lithosphere: This is the rigid outermost shell of Earth, consisting of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.

Think of it like this:

• Asthenosphere: Imagine a layer of soft, flowing taffy.

• Lithosphere: This is the solid, brittle shell that sits on top of that taffy.

The lithosphere is broken into large plates that move and interact, causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.