Lesson Y9-U04-L02

Plate Boundaries and Why They Matter Quiz: KS3 Geography, Unit 16

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y9-U04-L02, Plate Boundaries and Why They Matter: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Geography (National Curriculum), Unit 16: Year 9: Dynamic Landscapes: Tectonics and Ice, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What are the three main types of tectonic plate boundaries?

    • Active, dormant, extinct
    • Magma, lava, ash
    • Surface, deep, coastal
    • Constructive, destructive, conservative

  2. In which direction do tectonic plates move at a constructive boundary?

    • Apart
    • Sideways past
    • Together
    • Downward

  3. What geological process is defined as a denser plate sinking beneath a lighter one?

    • Folding
    • Subduction
    • Convection
    • Accretion

  4. Which boundary type forms mid-ocean ridges?

    • Conservative.
    • Coastal.
    • Destructive.
    • Constructive.

  5. Which boundary type creates deep ocean trenches?

    • Destructive.
    • Inland.
    • Conservative.
    • Constructive.

  6. Which boundary type causes earthquakes but no volcanoes?

    • Constructive.
    • Conservative.
    • Destructive.
    • Subduction.

  7. What fraction of the world's active volcanoes ring the Pacific Ocean?

    • About 25 percent.
    • About 75 percent.
    • About 5 percent.
    • About 99 percent.

  8. What substance rises into the gap at a constructive plate boundary?

    • Compressed air
    • Magma
    • Sea water
    • Sediment

  9. Why are volcanic eruptions often violent at destructive plate boundaries?

    • Low pressure chambers
    • Thin, runny lava
    • Cold surface water
    • Thick, gas-rich magma

  10. What major landform is created by a bending plate at a destructive boundary?

    • Deep ocean trench
    • Mid-ocean ridge
    • Abyssal plain
    • Rift valley

  11. Which real-world location is a famous conservative plate boundary?

    • San Andreas Fault
    • Mid-Atlantic Ridge
    • Andes mountains
    • Himalayan range

  12. Which real-world location is an example of a constructive plate boundary?

    • San Andreas Fault
    • Mid-Atlantic Ridge
    • Mariana Trench
    • Alpine Fault

  13. Which mountain range is formed by a destructive plate boundary off South America?

    • The Himalayas
    • The Rockies
    • The Alps
    • The Andes

  14. Which plate boundary features a widening sea floor and newly formed crust?

    • Collision
    • Conservative
    • Constructive
    • Destructive

  15. Which plate boundary involves plates sliding past each other without creating crust?

    • Constructive
    • Collision
    • Destructive
    • Conservative

  16. Do conservative plate boundaries form volcanoes?

    • No
    • Only underwater
    • Only shield volcanoes
    • Yes

  17. What process melts subducted crust to form volcanoes at destructive boundaries?

    • Weathering
    • Erosion
    • Deposition
    • Subduction

  18. Which type of plate boundary created the Andes mountain range?

    • Collision boundary
    • Destructive boundary
    • Conservative boundary
    • Constructive boundary

  19. Why do earthquakes and volcanoes share a similar global distribution?

    • Plate movement
    • Ocean currents
    • Solar radiation
    • Wind patterns

  20. Which plate boundary typically presents both volcanic and earthquake hazards?

    • Destructive
    • Stable
    • Collision
    • Conservative

All KS3 Geography quizzes