pHet Earth Science

go to:  http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/plate-tectonics

Run Now.  

Copy and paste this into a new post and answer the questions as you do the activity. 

PhET:  Plate Tectonics                                                        

Go to the PhET website

Select the Plate Tectonics Simulation

Spend a few minutes exploring the simulation.  Don’t worry, you can’t break it.

Select the “Crust” tab at the top of the simulation.  Under view select “Both”.

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.

2.  

3.     

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

temperature:

composition:

thickness:

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

temperature:

composition:

thickness:

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

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 Subducts?	Do non-volcanic Mountains Form?	Does a Trench Form?	On Which Crust Do Volcanoes Form?
Continental	Continental
Continental	Old Ocean
Old Ocean	Continental
Continental	Young Ocean
Young Ocean	Continental
Old Ocean	Young Ocean
Young Ocean	Old Ocean

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

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?

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

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.

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

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

14)          What is generated at ALL divergent plate boundaries?  

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