question 28: how far do the plates move away from each other every year?
question 29: if africa is approximately 2400 km away from mid-atlantic ridge, how long ago was it when africa was directly at or near the mid- atlantic ridge?
Answer (1)
28. Tectonic plates move away from each other at an average rate of about 2 to 5 centimeters per year.29. If Africa is approximately 2400 km (2,400,000 meters) from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the plates move about 2 to 5 cm per year (0.02 to 0.05 meters/year), we can estimate the time by dividing the distance by the speed.Using 2 cm/year (0.02 m/year):Time = 2,400,000 meters ÷ 0.02 m/year = 120,000,000 years (120 million years)Using 5 cm/year (0.05 m/year):Time = 2,400,000 meters ÷ 0.05 m/year = 48,000,000 years (48 million years)So, Africa was near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge roughly 48 to 120 million years ago, depending on the exact rate.
