PHet

1)   What are the 3 variables that can be changed in this simulation?  (Scale or zoom is a nice feature, but not a variable.)

          1. Temperature

2.  Composition

3.  Thickness  

2)   Try to duplicate the continental crust as accurately as possible. How did you set 

temperature: the Temperature is more warmer then it is cool

composition: made up mostly of silica.

thickness: The crust is thick.

3)  Try to duplicate the oceanic crust as accurately as possible.  How did you set 

temperature: The temperature is cool

composition: made up of more iron then it is silica

thickness: The crust is thin.

4)  In terms of the three variables you have investigated, describe how continental crust differs from oceanic crust.

 The continental crust is warmer, made up of silica and is thicker then the oceanic crust which is much cooler, made up more of iron and is thin.

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 Crust	Right Side Crust	Which Crust is Denser?	Which Crust Sub ducts?	Do non-volcanic Mountains Form?	Does a Trench Form?	On Which Crust Do Volcanoes Form?
Continental	Continental	right	Right	yes	no	N/a
Continental	Old Ocean	Right	Right	no	no	Left
Old Ocean	Continental	left	left	no	no	Right
Continental	Young Ocean	Right	Right	no	no	Left
Young Ocean	Continental	Left	left	no	no	Right
Old Ocean	Young Ocean	Left	Left	yes	no	Right
Young Ocean	Old Ocean	Right	Right	yes	no	Left

9)  Describe the relative motion of the plates at ALL convergent plate boundaries.  

All the plates collide into each other at a horizontal position. The more dense one always sub ducts into the other.

10)  Three times you used the same two types of crust, but switched left and right sides.  What do you observe about the results?  Is the side the crust is placed on important?

When switched sides the more dense crust switch sides and the volcanoes/ mountain switched sides as well. yes because it determines where a volcano or mountain will be formed.

11)          Look for patterns in density, subduction, and volcanoes in the table.  When volcanoes form, on which plate do they always form? 

The side that sub ducts is the side that is more dense. It is more dense because it sub ducts into the ground. volcanoes always form on the side that doesn't sub duct.

12)          Explore how a continental-young oceanic crust collision differs from a continental-old oceanic crust collision.

  Describe the difference in the angle of subduction between old and new plates.
The young oceanic crust has a greater angle going into the ground then the old oceanic plate does.

  How does the distance between the volcanoes and the plate boundary differ between old and new plates? 

with the new plates the volcanoes are closer to the edge of the two plates meeting then the old one is.

13)          Investigate divergent boundaries (red arrows).  Click show labels.  Describe the relative motion of ALL plates at divergent boundaries.  

The Divergent boundaries are the plates moving away from each other in a horizontal movement.

14)          What is generated at ALL divergent plate boundaries?  

More land and space is generated.

15)          Investigate transform fault boundaries (blue arrows).  Describe the relative motion of ALL plates at transform fault boundaries

  the transform movement is moving the plates in opposite direction but in a vertical direction.