Question

if you are living on one side of transform boundary and your neigbour is on other side.currently he is 10m away from your house and the two plates are sliding past each other at the rate of 5cm/year.how long will it take to be 9m away from your neigbour?
what will be the distance after 50 years?

Answer 1

To find out how long it will take for your neighbor to be 9 meters away from your house, we first need to calculate how far your neighbor will move away from you over time due to the sliding of the tectonic plates.

### Step 1: Determine the distance change
Currently, you are 10 meters away from your neighbor. You want to know when that distance becomes 9 meters. This means your neighbor needs to move 1 meter closer to you.

### Step 2: Find the rate of movement
The plates are sliding past each other at a rate of 5 cm/year, which is equal to 0.05 meters/year.

### Step 3: Calculate the time required
To find out how long it will take for your neighbor to move 1 meter closer, we can use the formula:
\[
\text{Time} = \frac{\text{Distance}}{\text{Rate of movement}}
\]
So,
\[
\text{Time} = \frac{1 \text{ meter}}{0.05 \text{ meters/year}} = 20 \text{ years}
\]

It will take 20 years for your neighbor to be 9 meters away from your house.

### Step 4: Calculate the distance after 50 years
Now, to determine how far away you will be from your neighbor after 50 years:

1. In 50 years, the plates will cause your neighbor to move:
\[
\text{Distance moved} = \text{Rate} \times \text{Time} = 0.05 \text{ m/year} \times 50 \text{ years} = 2.5 \text{ meters}
\]

2. After 50 years, the new distance between you and your neighbor will be:
\[
\text{New distance} = \text{Original distance} + \text{Distance moved} = 10 \text{ meters} + 2.5 \text{ meters} = 12.5 \text{ meters}
\]

### Summary
- It will take **20 years** for your neighbor to be 9 meters away from you.
- After **50 years**, you will be **12.5 meters** away from your neighbor.