Question

What was the frost line of the solar system?

1) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for hydrogen and helium to condense, between the present-day orbits of Jupiter and Saturn
2) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for metals to condense, between the Sun and the present-day orbit of Mercury
3) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for rocks to condense, between the present-day orbits of Mercury and Venus
4) the distance from the Sun where temperatures were low enough for asteroids to form, between the present-day orbits of Venus and Earth
5) The frost line divided the forming solar system into two regions - one in which only rock and metals were solid, and another region which also had ice.

Answer 1

The frost line of the solar system was the boundary where temperatures allowed volatile compounds like water ice to condense, likely located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, which enabled the formation of gas giants and icy bodies.

Step-by-step explanation:

The frost line of the solar system is the distance from the Sun at which temperatures were low enough for volatile compounds such as water, ammonia, and methane to condense into solid ice. This line marks the boundary in the protoplanetary disk where the temperature was low enough to allow for the formation of water ice and other icy compounds. Inside the frost line, only metals and rocks could condense, while beyond this line, ices could also form, leading to the birth of the gas giants and icy bodies. The frost line is generally thought to have been located between the present-day orbits of Mars and Jupiter, in an area where the giant planets and their moons began to take shape. Within this cooler region of the solar system, protoplanets grew larger, attracting and holding onto various gases, eventually forming the gas giants.