Final answer:
The Earth is believed to have formed through the process of accretion, which is the gradual accumulation of mass from colliding particles in the solar nebula. The correct answer to the student's question is C) Accretion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Earth is believed to have formed through the process known as accretion. This is the gradual accumulation of mass, such as a planet forming from colliding particles in the solar nebula. Therefore, to answer the student's question, the widely accepted model for the formation of the Earth would be C) Accretion.
During the early stages of the solar system, about 4.5 to 4.6 billion years ago, the solar nebula—a cloud of gas and dust—began to collapse due to gravity. Through this process, particles within the nebula started to collide and stick together, forming larger clumps. Over time, these clumps accumulated more mass and grew larger, eventually forming the Earth and other planets in our solar system.
Initially, the Earth was molten and lacked an atmosphere and oceans. Meteorite impacts, along with radioactive decay, contributed to the heat during this early phase. Gradually, the planet cooled down, allowing the formation of a stable crust, followed by the atmosphere and the oceans, setting the stage for life to develop.