Moving Plates of Rock

In the picture

1. 1A gap between two slabs pulling apart: melted rock rising from below
2. 2The edge of a slab bending down under the slab beside it
3. 3The opening at the top of the cone where melted rock reaches the surface

Examples

• Two continents drifting apart, opening a new ocean between them.
• A volcano growing where one slab dives beneath another.

Quiz: Moving Plates of Rock (Age 11)

1. 1

   What does the card say about Earth’s outer rocky shell?

   • It is one solid piece that does not move.
   • It is broken into large slabs that move very slowly.
   • It is covered by a single sheet of melted rock.
2. 2

   What can happen where the slabs pull apart or push together?

   • The slabs stop moving forever.
   • Melted rock from deep below can rise to the surface.
   • The outer shell becomes one solid piece.
3. 3

   When two slabs pull apart, what can happen in the gap between them?

   • The gap becomes a single solid piece of rock.
   • Melted rock rises from below.
   • One slab bends down under the slab beside it.

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.