Question

What four processes were at work on protoplanet earth, and what did each do?

Answer 1

The protoplanet Earth was formed through the accretion of planetesimals, planetary differentiation, loss of volatiles, and heating and cooling cycles, which led to its growth, structural differentiation, and the establishment of its current state.

Step-by-step explanation:

The formation of the protoplanet Earth involved several key processes that led to its growth and differentiation. During this early stage of evolution, four significant processes include:

• Accretion of planetesimals, which propelled growth by accumulating material through the gravitational pull of the protoplanet.
• Planetary differentiation, where materials are separated based on density, with heavier elements moving towards the core and lighter elements towards the surface.
• Loss of volatiles, where lighter gases were driven off, leaving behind heavier elements and compounds.
• Heating and cooling cycles, which, driven by radioactive elements and violent impacts, led to the planets being molten before they cooled and differentiated, shaping their internal structures.

Each process played a crucial role in the early formation and evolution of the Earth and other planets, leading to the celestial bodies we observe today in our solar system.

Answer 2

A protoplanet is a large planetary embryo that originated within a protoplanetary disc and has undergone internal melting to produce a differentiated interior. Protoplanets are thought to form out of kilometer-sized planetesimals that gravitationally perturb each other's orbits ... Such embryos weresimilar to Ceres and Pluto with masses of about 10^22