Name: ________________________
Multiple Choice Questions 2pts each
Plate Tectonics Test ___/100
Use this diagram of two tectonic plates to answer the next three questions:
2b 1. What direction is “A” moving in relation to “B”?
C
A
B
A. away from
B. toward
C. sideways
D. up
2b 2. What feature has formed at “C”?
A. mid-ocean ridge
B. continental shelf
C. volcanic mountains
D. trench
2e 3. Why would severe earthquakes be a likely occurrence at this boundary?
A.
B.
C.
D.
stress is increased as plates pull apart
tension increases as plates push together
shearing between plates results from sideways movement
the weight of seawater causes plates to shift
2e 4. Which plate boundary is marked by deep-sea trenches, volcanic mountain
chains and severe earthquakes?
A. convergent
B. hot spots
C. transform
D. divergent
2a 5. What observation did Alfred Wegener make that led him to develop the
theory of continental drift?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The seafloor has “magnetic stripes”.
The ocean floor has long ridges of volcanic mountains.
Earth’s magnetic poles have reversed polarity in geologic history.
Continents appear to have once fit together
2a 6. How did data added to the Continental Drift Theory on earthquake faults,
rock types and glacial movement affect the theory?
A.
B.
C.
D.
This new data supported the theory.
The rock types did not support the theory.
The earthquake faults did not support the theory.
The glacial movement did not support the theory.
2a 7. How was Alfred Wegeners’ theory accepted in his time?
A.
B.
C.
D.
very well, scientists saw the fit of the continents..
reasonably well, some scientists questioned the rock types.
poorly, most people thought the earthquake data was wrong.
not at all, there was no way to explain how a continent could move.
2c 8. Which discovery was most important to the development of modern plate
tectonic theory? The discovery of
A. continental fit
C. mid-ocean ridges
B. matching fossils on continents
D. earthquakes
1e 9. How do scientists explain the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They are floating in the oceans and move randomly.
They move when heat creates convection currents in Earth’s mantle.
They move when volcanoes erupt and earthquake faults slip.
The spinning of Earth gives each plate energy that moves the continents.
1d 10. What is the movement of heated materials upward and the movement of
cooled materials downward called?
A. Coriolis Effect
B. Contraction
C. Convection
D. Climate
1a 11. What are the two sources of energy heating Earth’s mantle?
A. sunlight and radiation from space
B. motion and other forms of kinetic energy
C. cosmic rays and gravitational energy D. radioactive decay and heat from interior
2b 12. What conditions of temperature and density would allow a plate boundary
to subduct? Boundaries that are
A. cold & dense
B. hot & dense
C. cold & less dense
D. hot & less dense
1c 13. Which substance would be most accurate for a model of Earth’s mantle?
A. warm air
B. cold water
C. flexible plastic
D. solid steel
1a 14. When does a radioactive atom decay?
A. when it divides into two equal halves
B. when it gives off a particle or
radiation
C. when it combines with another atom
D. when it comes in contact with helium
1c 15. What difference allows scientists to separate Earth into the crust, mantle
and core layers?
A. convection currents
B. heat flow
C. sound waves
D. physical properties
1b 16. How do earthquake (seismic) waves allow scientists to determine the
composition of Earth layers?
A. The waves are blocked, showing the layers are solids.
B. The waves are shortened, showing the layers are made of the same material.
C. The waves are lengthened, showing that the mantle is made of water and salt.
D. The waves are traveling at different speeds, showing the layers have different
compositions.
1b 17. Why must scientists infer the composition of Earth’s layers?
A. There is no evidence to support a theory.
B. They cannot gather samples
from the layers.
C. Scientists do not agree on the layers of Earth.
D.The layers vary from one part
of Earth to another.
1b 18. What substances must Earth’s core be composed of to create the
magnetic field and density needed to match estimates of Earth’s mass?
A. aluminum and copper
C. magnesium and carbon
B. iron and nickel
D. sulfur and potassium
Use this diagram of an imaginary tectonic plate to answer the question:
Exa
Ora
2d 19. What direction would this plate move?
A. west to east
B. east to west
C. south to north
D. north to south
2d 20. Where will geologists expect the next island in the chain to form?
A. South of Exa
B. North of Exa
C. West of Ora
D. East of Ora
1c 21. How are Earth’s lithosphere and asthenosphere different from one
another?
A. They have different physical properties.
B. They have different
chemical composition.
C. They were formed during different time periods. D. The lithosphere does not allow
seismic waves
1e 22. Why are the properties of the asthenosphere important to plate tectonics
theory?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A fluid asthenosphere allows the plates to move.
The plates are held in place by the asthenosphere.
The depth of the asthenosphere gives plates room to sink
The properties show that plate tectonics must be a correct theory.
1b 23. What direct evidence do scientists have concerning the properties of the
asthenosphere?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Dense rock samples come from drill holes in the asthenosphere.
Lightweight crustal rocks are from the asthenosphere.
Heat from volcanic lava comes from near the asthenosphere.
Continents must be floating on a fluid layer or they could not move.
2b 24. The collision of two continental plates results in which land feature?
A. valleys
B. mountains
C. volcanoes
D. trenches
1e 25. How do scientists explain the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates?
A.
B.
C.
D.
They are floating in the oceans and move randomly.
They move when volcanoes erupt and earthquake faults slip.
They move when heat creates convection currents in Earth’s mantle.
The spinning of Earth gives the plates energy to move the continents.
Name: ______________________
Multiple Choice Answers (2 pts. each)
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Essay. 10 pts each
1. Explain Alfred Wegener’s continental drift hypothesis, his evidence, and why this
theory was not accepted in his time (1912). ___________________________________
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2. Describe two types of modern evidence that support the current theory of plate
tectonics.
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One more question on back
→
3. Explain how temperature and density drive convection currents. A picture of this
may help with your explanation.
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Multiple Choice Score: _________/50
Essay Score:
+ ________/30
Test Score:
= ________/50
Lab Practical: _____/ 20 pts.
Instructions: Determine the density of the liquid in the beaker at the lab
station. Fill in the chart with data.
Mass (g)
Volume (ml)
Density (g/ml)