Question

how did the physical models make it difficult to show what happens to the plates and mantle at plate boundaries? write here...

Explanation:

Physical models of plate boundaries face challenges. First, the actual processes (like mantle convection, plate movement rates) are on a massive, long - term scale. Models can't replicate the vast size (e.g., Earth's mantle is thousands of kilometers thick, plates span continents) and slow timeframes (movement is cm/year, processes take millions of years). Also, the mantle's physical properties (viscoelastic, complex flow) are hard to mimic with model materials. Plates in reality are rigid yet interact with a deformable mantle, and models struggle to show the dynamic, multi - factor interactions (e.g., different boundary types: convergent, divergent, transform) accurately in a small - scale, short - term model.

Answer:

Physical models struggle to show plate - mantle interactions at boundaries because they can’t replicate the Earth’s massive scale (e.g., mantle thickness, plate size), the extremely slow timeframes of geological processes (e.g., cm/year plate movement, million - year - long events), and the complex physical properties of the mantle (viscoelastic flow, etc.). Also, they have difficulty accurately representing the dynamic, multi - factor interactions of different plate boundary types (convergent, divergent, transform) in a simplified, small - scale model.