What type of stress occurs when plates move apart?

compression

faulting

shearing

tension

tension

Explanation:

Plates undergo stress when they are being pushed or pulled.

"Tension" is a term used in Geology that refers to a stress caused by plates that move apart from each other. Such kind of stress allows the plates to be longer laterally and thinner vertically.

Such kind of stress is common when it comes to "divergent boundaries." Such boundary is considered a linear feature between two plates (tectonic) that are moving apart from each other. These plates are being pulled apart from each other due to "tension."

There is a belief that tension is the reason why the "Pangaea" (an ancient super-continent) separated into the different continents we have today.

So, this explains the answer.

tension