Item PT033001: The amount of new plate material that is added to a plate is balanced by the amount of plate material that is pushed into the earth's interior or is crumpled upward.
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
- New plate material is being added to the edges of plates, and no plate material is being removed.
- Plate material is being removed from the edges of plates, and no new plate material is being added.
- New plate material is being added to the edges of plates, and the same amount of plate material is being broken into pieces and carried away.
- New plate material is being added to the edges of plates, and the same amount of plate material is being crumpled upward or recycled back into the earth’s interior.
- Distribution of Responses
- Students Responding Correctly
| Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 1355 | 3177 | 43% |
| Grades | |||
| 6–8 | 831 | 2047 | 41% |
| 9–12 | 518 | 1117 | 46% |
| Gender | |||
| Male | 651 | 1513 | 43% |
| Female | 685 | 1621 | 42% |
| Primary Language | |||
| English | 1263 | 2891 | 44% |
| Other | 62 | 218 | 28% |
- Notes
- This idea is not addressed in NGSS.

