Original Project
Plate Tectonics
Item PT040002: Mountains form when plate material slowly bends over time.
When two plates press together and a mountain begins to form, which of the following happens?
- The plate slowly begins to bend, because even though the plate material is hard, it can still be bent and folded over a very long period of time.
- The plate material from one plate breaks off into small pieces of rock that are about the size of tennis balls, because plates cannot bend.
- The plate material from one plate breaks off into large pieces of rock that are about the size of huge boulders, because plates cannot bend.
- The plate material from one plate breaks off into massive blocks of rock that are about the size of large houses, because plates cannot bend.
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 2287 |
6–8 n = 707 |
9–12 n = 1568 |
Male n = 1112 |
Female n = 1132 |
English n = 2046 |
Other n = 177 |
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| A. | The plate slowly begins to bend, because even though the plate material is hard, it can still be bent and folded over a very long period of time. | 53% | 50% | 55% | 57% | 51% | 54% | 50% |
| B. | The plate material from one plate breaks off into small pieces of rock that are about the size of tennis balls, because plates cannot bend. | 13% | 14% | 13% | 12% | 14% | 13% | 15% |
| C. | The plate material from one plate breaks off into large pieces of rock that are about the size of huge boulders, because plates cannot bend. | 20% | 22% | 19% | 18% | 21% | 19% | 25% |
| D. | The plate material from one plate breaks off into massive blocks of rock that are about the size of large houses, because plates cannot bend. | 14% | 14% | 13% | 13% | 14% | 14% | 11% |