How do tectonic plates move relative to one another?

Start by looking at the direction of motion across the boundary. The three basic patterns are: divergent means the plates move away from each other; convergent means they move toward each other; and transform means they slide past one another [S1]. The names describe relative motion—the way the two neighboring plates move in relation to each other—not a promise that every boundary of one type has exactly the same geology.

A quick memory aid: divergent = depart, convergent = come together, transform = travel past. Imagine the arrows on the plates, rather than trying to memorize a landscape or a particular landform.

Here is a copyable text diagram. The arrows show relative movement across each boundary; they do not indicate compass directions.

1. Divergent — move apart

← | → Vocabulary: divergent boundary; plates move away from each other. Conceptual question: If the arrows point away from the boundary, are the plates coming together or separating?

1. Convergent — move together

→ | ← Vocabulary: convergent boundary; plates move toward each other. Conceptual question: What direction would each plate’s arrow point if the two plates were moving toward the boundary?

1. Transform — slide past

↑ | ↓ Vocabulary: transform boundary; plates slide past one another. Conceptual question: Are these arrows pointing toward each other, away from each other, or alongside the boundary in opposite directions?

The line | represents the boundary, and the arrow on each side represents a plate’s motion. For the transform panel, the arrows run parallel to the boundary and point in opposite directions. The diagram is a simplified way to compare the motions, not a map of a real location.

No. The movement labels do not mean that all three boundaries have the same crustal outcome. In the USGS overview, divergent motion creates new crust, while transform motion neither creates nor destroys crust [S2]. Convergent interactions vary with the plates involved; one described case is subduction, where a denser plate moves beneath a more buoyant one [S2].

So keep two questions separate: “Which way are the plates moving?” identifies the boundary motion. “What happens to crust here?” asks about the particular interaction. The overview supports those broad distinctions, but it does not establish the detailed geology of every boundary or every local example.

Use this quick check: cover the labels and read only the arrows. For divergent, they should point away from the boundary; for convergent, toward it; for transform, parallel to the boundary and past one another. Then uncover the labels and make sure each vocabulary phrase says the same thing as its arrows.

For a final caption, you could write: “This diagram compares relative plate motion: divergent plates move apart, convergent plates move together, and transform plates slide past each other. Their geological outcomes are not all the same.” The first sentence matches the three boundary definitions [S1]; the second reflects the source’s warning that outcomes differ by boundary context [S2].