In: Physics
The North American and European plates of the Earth’s crust are drifting apart with a relative speed of about 25 mm/yr. Take the speed as constant and find when the rift between them started to open, to reach a current width of 2.9 x10^3 mi.
The plates spread apart distance d of 2.9 × 103 mi in the time interval Δt at the rate of 25 mm/year. Converting units:
Step 1: Convert miles to millimeters
-1 mile=1609 millimeters
1m=1000mm
1mi=16091000mm
2.9x10^3 mi=4.7 x 10^9 mm
Step 2: Formula of Speed= Distance over time
Distance=(4.7x10^9)mm
Time= 25 mm\yr
SO; (4.7 x 10^9) mm : (25 mm\yr)
=1.9x10^8 years.
1.9x10^8 years
The plates spread apart distance d of 2.9 × 103 mi in the time interval Δt at the rate of 25 mm/year.