R-Controlled Vowel Worksheets - Free Printable

Problem Overview:

The task involves analyzing the age of rocks on the seafloor and their relationship to the distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The goal is to demonstrate evidence for seafloor spreading, a key concept in plate tectonics. This is achieved by:

1. Color-coding the age of rocks on a map.
2. Graphing the age of rocks versus their distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
3. Observing the pattern that emerges, which shows how rock age increases with distance from the ridge.

Solution Explanation:

#### Step 1: Understanding Seafloor Spreading
Seafloor spreading is the process where new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges (like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge) and moves outward as older crust is pushed away. This results in younger rocks being closer to the ridge and older rocks being farther away.

#### Step 2: Analyzing the Map
The map provided shows the North Atlantic Ocean floor with color-coded bands representing different ages of rocks. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is marked as the central line, and the rocks are divided into bands based on their age (in millions of years). For example:
- Lighter colors represent younger rocks (closer to the ridge).
- Darker colors represent older rocks (farther from the ridge).

#### Step 3: Measuring Distances and Ages
Students measure the distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to specific points on the map using a ruler. These distances are recorded in centimeters. Since 1 cm on the map represents 700 km in reality, students convert these measurements to actual kilometers.

The ages of the rocks at these points are also noted from the color-coded bands. For example:
- Rocks near the ridge might be 5 million years old.
- Rocks farther away might be 100 million years old.

#### Step 4: Creating the Data Chart
A data chart is created with three columns:
- Column A: Age of the rock (in millions of years).
- Column B: Distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (in centimeters).
- Column C: Actual distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (in kilometers, calculated by multiplying Column B by 700).

#### Step 5: Graphing the Data
Using the data from Columns A and C, students plot a graph:
- The x-axis represents the age of the rock (in millions of years).
- The y-axis represents the distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (in kilometers).

When plotted, the graph should show a linear relationship between the age of the rock and its distance from the ridge. This means that as the distance from the ridge increases, the age of the rock also increases.

#### Step 6: Answering Questions
Based on the graph and observations:
1. What does this graph represent?
- The graph represents the relationship between the age of the rock and its distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

2. What does this information tell us about the age of rock as it gets farther from the mid-ocean ridge?
- As the distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge increases, the age of the rock also increases. This supports the theory of seafloor spreading, where newer crust forms at the ridge and older crust moves away over time.

3. Notice about the banding on both sides of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge:
- The banding on both sides of the ridge is symmetrical. This symmetry indicates that the same processes occur on both sides of the ridge, further supporting the idea of seafloor spreading.

#### Final Observation:
The linear relationship in the graph provides strong evidence for seafloor spreading. The consistent pattern of increasing rock age with increasing distance from the ridge confirms that new crust is continuously forming at the ridge and moving outward.

Final Answer:

\[
\boxed{\text{The age of the rock increases as the distance from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge increases, providing evidence for seafloor spreading.}}
\]