Worked example
Two plates move away from each other at a mid-ocean ridge. Which boundary type fits?
Answer & why
Answer: divergent boundary
The plates diverge, allowing new crust to form between them.
Grade 8 · Science
Relate plate motion to boundary processes
Use the relative motion of tectonic plates to distinguish divergent, convergent and transform boundaries.
6 authored questions + worked example
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All questions
All 6 authored questions for this skill.
Question 1
Two plates slide horizontally past one another. Which boundary type fits?
- divergent boundary
- convergent boundary
- transform boundary
- no relative motion specified
A hint
Divergent boundaries separate plates; convergent boundaries bring them together.
Answer & why
Answer: transform boundary
Transform motion is sideways sliding along a boundary.
Question 2
Two continental plates move together and thicken crust. Which boundary type fits?
- transform boundary
- divergent boundary
- no relative motion specified
- convergent boundary
A hint
Divergent boundaries separate plates; convergent boundaries bring them together.
Answer & why
Answer: convergent boundary
Continental collision is a convergent setting.
Question 3
A diagram shows two plates separating with magma rising into the gap. Which boundary type fits?
- convergent boundary
- transform boundary
- divergent boundary
- no relative motion specified
A hint
Divergent boundaries separate plates; convergent boundaries bring them together.
Answer & why
Answer: divergent boundary
The defining motion is separation.
Question 4
A statement names two plates but gives no arrows or relative movement. What can be concluded about the motion type?
- convergent boundary
- divergent boundary
- no relative motion specified
- transform boundary
A hint
Divergent boundaries separate plates; convergent boundaries bring them together.
Answer & why
Answer: no relative motion specified
Names alone do not establish whether plates approach, separate or slide past.
Question 5
Two plates move away from each other at a mid-ocean ridge. Which boundary type fits?
- convergent boundary
- no relative motion specified
- transform boundary
- divergent boundary
A hint
Divergent boundaries separate plates; convergent boundaries bring them together.
Answer & why
Answer: divergent boundary
The plates diverge, allowing new crust to form between them.
Question 6
Two plates move toward one another, and one sinks beneath the other. Which boundary type fits?
- transform boundary
- convergent boundary
- divergent boundary
- no relative motion specified
A hint
Divergent boundaries separate plates; convergent boundaries bring them together.
Answer & why
Answer: convergent boundary
Convergence brings plates together; this example includes subduction.