Benchmark Exam Plate Tectonics

Which statement best describes the theory of plate tectonics?

• Plates sometimes move closer to one another.

• Sections of Earth that shift are part of Earth’s asthenosphere.

• Sections of Earth’s continents are in slow, constant movement.

• Parts of the ocean floor move as they are carried by rift valleys.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

In which layer of the Earth does the motion of the convection currents drive plate movement?

• mantle

• outer core

• inner core

• lithosphere

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which event is associated with convergent boundaries?

• formation of island chains

• creation of mid-ocean ridges

• creation of convection currents

• formation of rift valleys

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which statement describes the process of subduction?

• Convection currents pull a plate into the mantle.

• One plate slides beneath another due to gravitational pull.

• Materials are transferred within Earth’s interior by density.

• Heat cycles in the mantle cause plates to constantly move.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Which phrase explains what the arrows show?

• how convection currents move in Earth’s interior

• the location of heated material near Earth’s surface

• where plates move as material cools in the outer core

• why the densities of materials remain constant at different layers

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

At which location does heat transfer begin as dense material heats up?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Which statement explains the relationship between the density of a material and its movement in Earth’s interior?

• Cooler materials move from Earth’s mantle to the lithosphere.

• Cooler materials are highly dense, causing them to sink to the outer core.

• Warmer materials sink to the mantle because their density slowly decreases.

• Warmer materials have a high density, causing them to rise to Earth’s surface.

Which plate does not appear in both hemispheres?

• Indo-Australian

• African

• Pacific

• Eurasian

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Into which layer of the Earth do plate boundaries extend?

• outer core

• lithosphere

• lower mantle

• asthenosphere

Which statement correctly explains what is happening in the image?

• A volcano is forming.

• Plates are converging.

• A rift valley is forming.

• A transform boundary is occurring.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3