Question

write the letter of the correct answer on the line at left.

1. ava had read about continental drift and that it had now become a theory. what information caused the hypothesis of continental drift to become a theory?

a. observations that the ocean floor plates appear to be stable and unchanging
b. observations that the lithosphere is broken apart, and these plates have no boundaries
c. observations that explain the movements of plates in the lithosphere and predict what happens when they meet
d. observations that earth appears to have plates with boundaries that are moving

1. corey was watching water boil and thought about what he had learned about how earth’s plates move. both boiling water and tectonic plates move due to ______.

13-18. stephen

Explanation:

Question 11

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Stable ocean floor plates don't support continental drift (which involves movement), so A is incorrect.
• Option B: Plates having no boundaries is wrong (plates have boundaries), so B is incorrect.
• Option C: For a hypothesis to become a theory, there must be observations that explain the phenomenon (plate movements) and predict interactions, which matches the requirements for continental drift becoming a theory.
• Option D: Just stating plates are moving is not enough to elevate a hypothesis to a theory; we need explanations and predictions, so D is incorrect.

Boiling water moves due to heat (convection currents), and tectonic plates move due to heat from the Earth's interior (convection in the mantle). So the driving force for both is heat (or thermal energy, specifically convection currents caused by heat).

Answer:

C. observations that explain the movements of plates in the lithosphere and predict what happens when they meet

Question 12