The earth\'s crust is broken up into a series of more-or-less rigid plates that

Question

The earth's crust is broken up into a series of more-or-less rigid plates that slide around due to motion of material in the mantle below. Although the speeds of these plates vary somewhat, they are typically about 5.00cm/yr . Assume that this rate remains constant over time. Part A If you and your neighbor live on opposite sides of a plate boundary at which one plate is moving northward at 5.00cm/yr with respect to the other plate, how far apart do your houses move in a century? Part B Los Angeles is presently 550 { m km} south of San Francisco, but is on a plate moving northward relative to San Francisco. If the 5.00cm/yr velocity continues, how many years will it take before Los Angeles has moved up to San Francisco?

Explanation / Answer

distance moved by neighbours house = 5 x 100 = 500 cm = 5 m century has 100 yrs time = distance /velocity = distance = 550 x 1000 x 100 cm vel = 5 cm/yr time = 550 x 100000/5 = 110 x 100000 time = 11 x 10^6 years

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