Question

a mid - ocean ridge is located at the boundary of two tectonic plates. which diagram correctly models the relative plate motion on each side of a mid ocean ridge?

Explanation:

A mid - ocean ridge is a divergent plate boundary. At a divergent boundary, tectonic plates move away from each other. Let's analyze each diagram:

• Yellow diagram: Plate 1 moves left and Plate 2 moves right, so they are moving away from each other, which is consistent with divergent boundary motion.
• Purple diagram: Both plates move left, so they are moving towards the same direction (convergent - like in a way that is not divergent).
• Orange diagram: Plates move towards each other, which is a convergent boundary, not divergent.
• Teal diagram: Plates move towards each other (one up, one down in a convergent - like lateral or convergent motion), not divergent.

So the yellow - colored diagram (with Plate 1 moving left and Plate 2 moving right) correctly models the relative plate motion at a mid - ocean ridge.

Answer:

The diagram in the yellow - colored box (where Plate 1 has an arrow pointing left and Plate 2 has an arrow pointing right) correctly models the relative plate motion on each side of a mid - ocean ridge.