Which statement accurately describes the movement of Earth’s plates due to convection currents?

Material near the core cools as heat is transferred toward the crust.
Heated materials become denser, causing them to rise toward the surface.
As heated material gets closer to the surface, it begins to cool.
As materials cool, they become less dense and sink back toward the core.

1 answer

The statement that accurately describes the movement of Earth’s plates due to convection currents is:

"As heated material gets closer to the surface, it begins to cool."

In the convection currents within the Earth's mantle, hot material from near the core rises towards the surface. As this heated material approaches the surface, it begins to cool down. Once it cools sufficiently, it becomes denser and can eventually sink back down toward the core, creating a continuous cycle of movement.