There are several different ways that volcanoes can form; however, the most common ways are through divergent plates and converging plates. When plates diverge, or pull apart, lava is able to flow the top then cool to make other smaller volcanoes. When two plates converge, or collide,such as an oceanic plate and continental plate, the oceanic plate is subducted underneath the continental plate because it is less dense. Part of the oceanic plate then melts creating more magma that can be pushed to the top of plates, forming a volcano.