__ 19. The country of New Zealand, composed of two islands is located along the boundary of the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates. These plates are on a divergent boundary. A city located on the North Island of New Zealand is moving away from a city on the South Island at a rate of 40 mm per year.Which of the following indicates the time it will take for these two cities to be 250 km farther away from each other than they are now? a. 625,000years c. 6250 years b. 6,250,000years d. 62,500,000 years

To solve this problem, we need to convert the distance between the two cities from kilometers to millimeters and then divide it by the rate at which the cities are moving apart.<br /><br />Given information:<br />- The two cities are moving apart at a rate of 40 mm per year.<br />- The distance between the two cities is 250 km.<br /><br />Step 1: Convert the distance from kilometers to millimeters.<br />1 km = 1,000,000 mm<br />250 km = 250 × 1,000,000 mm = 250,000,000 mm<br /><br />Step 2: Calculate the time it will take for the two cities to be 250 km farther apart.<br />Time = Distance / Rate<br />Time = 250,000,000 mm / 40 mm/year<br />Time = 6,250,000 years<br /><br />Therefore, the correct answer is:<br />b. $6,250,000 years$