Structure of the Earth & Plate Tectonics is one of 9 topics in the Grade 10 Geography CAPS syllabus, covered across 3 lessons on Study Vault. Below are real practice questions from this topic with full worked answers.
Sample practice questions
Easy
1. Which layer of the Earth is a thin, rigid, relatively cool and brittle outer layer, made up of oceanic and continental types?
The crust
The outer core
The inner core
The asthenosphere alone, with no crust involved
Answer: The crust — The crust is the Earth's thin, rigid, relatively cool and brittle outermost layer, made up of oceanic crust (thinner, denser, mainly basalt) and continental crust (thicker, less dense, mainly granite).
Easy
2. Igneous rocks form through which process?
Cooling and solidification of molten magma or lava
Compaction and cementation of layers of sediment
Transformation of existing rock by heat and pressure without melting
Weathering of exposed rock surfaces only
Answer: Cooling and solidification of molten magma or lava — Igneous rocks form directly from the cooling and solidification of molten magma (underground) or lava (at the surface), such as granite and basalt.
Medium
3. What is the name of the Earth layer, made of hot, plastically-flowing rock, that lies between the crust and the core, and whose convection currents drive plate movement?
Answer: The mantle — The mantle is the thick layer of hot, dense, plastically-flowing rock between the crust and the core; convection currents within it, driven by heat from the core, are the driving force behind plate movement.
