Final answer:
The inner solar system's terrestrial planets are composed of rock and metal, formed under high temperatures near the Sun, while the outer solar system's gas giants contain mostly ice and gas, allowing them to grow large due to the lower temperatures and abundance of materials.
Step-by-step explanation:
Formation of Planets in the Inner and Outer Solar System:
The formation of planets in the inner and outer regions of the solar system differs primarily in their chemical composition and the conditions under which they formed. In the inner solar system, the planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars - are composed mostly of rock and metal. These materials could withstand the high temperatures near the Sun, allowing these planets to form as rocky terrestrial planets.
In contrast, the outer solar system is home to the gas giants - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune - which are composed primarily of ice and gas. These substances could survive and accrete in the colder regions further away from the Sun, allowing for the formation of much larger planets with thick atmospheres of hydrogen and helium. This composition and size difference is a direct result of the temperature variances in different parts of the solar system during its formation.
Additionally, the giant planets were able to grow so large because of the abundance of ices and gases in the outer solar system, which were not present in the inner solar system due to the evaporation at higher temperatures. Their large masses also helped them accumulate more material through gravitational attraction.
Understanding the characteristics of the outer planets also leads to fascinating insights, such as the extensive systems of rings and moons associated with these giants, which are not seen around the relatively smaller terrestrial planets. The regularities among planets indicate they all originated from the same solar nebula, a giant cloud of gas and dust that formed our solar system.