Which of these statements should be included in an explanation of plate tectonics?(1 point)

Question

Responses

Heat currents in the mantle cause the plates in Earth’s crust to move.
Heat currents in the mantle cause the plates in Earth’s crust to move.

Plate tectonics is the same thing as continental drift.
Plate tectonics is the same thing as continental drift.

Earth’s crust contains about 50 solid plates that float on Earth’s mantle.
Earth’s crust contains about 50 solid plates that float on Earth’s mantle.

In the heat currents in the mantle, hot rock sinks, and cooler rock rises.

Answer 1

The statement that should be included in an explanation of plate tectonics is:

Heat currents in the mantle cause the plates in Earth’s crust to move.

Additionally, the statement regarding the heat currents in the mantle—In the heat currents in the mantle, hot rock sinks, and cooler rock rises—is also relevant and could be included for a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms driving plate tectonics.

The statement about "Earth’s crust contains about 50 solid plates that float on Earth’s mantle" is a simplified version and could be misleading depending on the context. There are typically understood to be 7 major tectonic plates, with many smaller ones.

The statement about plate tectonics being the same as continental drift is inaccurate; continental drift is a concept that led to the development of the theory of plate tectonics, but they are not the same thing.