Why Do Mountains Form in Certain Places?

Mountains form in certain places because the Earth’s crust is being pushed or pulled like a piece of clay.

Imagine you're playing with playdough. If you push two pieces of playdough together, they might squish up and make a hill, that's like how mountains are made when parts of the Earth move toward each other. This is called collision.

Sometimes, pieces of the Earth’s crust move slowly but strongly, just like when you push your friend in a game of tag. When they meet, they can lift up and make big hills, these are mountains. You can feel this kind of pushing if you press two sides of a sponge together; it pushes up in the middle.

Other times, parts of the Earth move apart, like when you pull apart two ends of a rubber band. This makes cracks and folds in the ground, these are also places where mountains can form over time, because the land is being stretched and bent.