Mars Bar on a Plate Tectonics

1. Cut your Mars Bar in Half.

2. Compare the Mars Bar to the Earth’s structure.

Label the parts of the Mars Bar to correspond to
the layers of the Earth.
Use the words below to fill in the boxes:
 Core
 Crust
 Mantle

EXAMPLE 1:
3. Push the two pieces together (see diagram) and describe what
you see.

This is an example of a convergent plate boundary. Convergent plate boundaries create

landforms such as fold mountains. Some famous fold mountains are the Himalayas (home to Mt.
Everest).

EXAMPLE 2:
4. Push one piece of the chocolate bar away from you with one
hand, whilst pulling the other piece towards you with the other
hand (see diagram). Describe what you see.

This is an example of a transform plate boundary. Transform plate boundaries cause major
earthquakes, such as the San Andreas Fault Line, and leave behind landscapes of long ridges
and narrow valleys, as well as, displaced rock formations.
EXAMPLE 3:
5. Take one of the pieces and pull it apart (like in the diagram).
Describe what you see.

This is an example of a divergent plate boundary. Divergent plate boundaries create landforms
such as rift valleys and mid-oceanic ridges. Two examples of this are the Great African Rift
Valley and the Mid Atlantic Ridge, which has a maximum depth of 7,758m making it one of the
deepest locations on Earths.

6. Match up each EXAMPLE to the corresponding plate boundary diagram it

represents
EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

EXAMPLE 3

7. In this investigation we used chocolate bars to model the layers of the Earth.
Geologists (scientists who study what the Earth is made of) often use models to help
explain their ideas. Do you think this was a good model? Why or why not?