Question

A group of students cuts pieces of foam shaped like the continents and floats them in a container of water. The students use a straw to create currents in the water and observe as the continents move apart from one another. What theory have the students modeled? A Continental drift theory B Paleomagnetic theory C Seismic activity theory D Convection current theory

Answer 1

A Continental drift theory

Explanation:

The continental drift theory was popularized by Alfred Wegener at the beginning of the past century (early 1900s). He stated that continents are land masses that float on magma, and they are continuously moving and drifting over the magma oceans that lie underneath. Wegener believed that all continents were once part of one single large continent called Pangea and that they started drifting away millions of years ago until they reached their current position. He also stated that the continents are still moving, but the movement is very slow and we can only notice it during earthquakes and tremors.

This theory has been updated and replaced by the study of plate tectonics.