HONORS EARTH/SPACE SCIENCE
PHET: PLATE TECTONICS
NAME_________________________________
PERIOD _____ DATE ____________
Objectives: Students will…
 Be able to predict how changing different variables will affect the nature of Earth’s crust
 Investigate and analyze the behavior of Earth’s crust at different types of plate boundaries.
 Be able to list and describe geologic features associated with each type of plate boundary.
 Be able to predict the type of plate boundary given different geologic features.
Select the Plate Tectonics Simulation on the PhET website (http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/platetectonics). Spend a few minutes exploring the simulation.
Understanding Earth’s Crust
Select the “Crust” tab at the top of the simulation. Under view select “Both”.
Q2 – Continental Crust
1) What are the 3 variables that can be changed in this simulation?
2) Try to duplicate the continental crust as accurately as possible. On the diagram
at right, show where you set each variable
Q3 – Oceanic Crust
3) Try to duplicate the oceanic crust as accurately as possible. On the diagram at right,
show where you set each variable.
4) In terms of the three variables you have investigated, describe how continental crust
differs from oceanic crust.
Experiment with making your own crust using the sliders in the center of the screen. Note that the middle
crust sample will turn blue or green depending on whether it is considered oceanic or continental crust.
5) Adjust the thickness of the crust and describe how thickness affects the type of crust:
6) Adjust the composition of the crust and describe the differences in iron (Fe) and silica (Si) in oceanic
and continental crusts.
7) Set the thickness and composition of your crust somewhere in the middle.
a) What type of crust do you have?
b) What happens when you change the temperature of the crust?
8) Based on your answers to the previous questions complete the table below.
Crustal Property
Thickness
thick:
Result
thin:
Composition
more iron:
more silica:
Temperature
warm:
cool:
Select the “Plate Motion” tab at the top of the screen. Under view select “Both”.
8) Investigate convergent boundaries (green arrows). Report your findings in the following table:
Left Side
Right Side
Which Crust
Which Crust
Do
Does a
Crust
Crust
is Denser?
Subducts?
Mountains
Trench
Form?
Form?
Continental
Continental
Continental
Old
Ocean
Old
Ocean
Continental
Continental
Young
Ocean
Young
Ocean
Continental
Old
Ocean
Young
Ocean
Young
Ocean
Old
Ocean
9) Describe the motion of the plates at ALL convergent plate boundaries.
10)
Three times you used the same two types of crust, but switched left and right sides.
a) What do you observe about the results?
b) Is the side the crust is placed on important? Explain.
11)
When volcanoes form, on which plate do they always form?
On Which
Crust Do
Volcanoes
Form?
12)
Explore how a continental-young oceanic crust collision differs from a continental-old oceanic
crust collision.
a) Describe the difference in the angle of subduction between old and new plates.
b) How does the distance between the volcanoes and the plate boundary differ between old
and new plates?
13)
Investigate divergent boundaries (red arrows). Click “Show Labels”. Describe the motion of ALL
plates at divergent boundaries.
14)
What is generated at ALL divergent plate boundaries?
15)
Investigate transform fault boundaries (blue arrows). Describe the motion of ALL plates at
transform fault boundaries.