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According to the nebular theory, what are asteroids and comets?

1) They are the shattered remains of collisions between moons.
2) They are chunks of rock or ice that condensed long after the planets and moons had formed.
3) They are the shattered remains of collisions between planets.
4) They are leftover planetesimals that never accreted into planets.
5) They are chunks of rock or ice that were expelled from planets by volcanoes.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Asteroids and comets are leftover planetesimals from the solar system's formation according to the nebular theory.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the nebular theory, asteroids and comets are small chunks of material left over from the formation process of the solar system. Asteroids, which are mostly rocky or metallic objects, and comets, which are composed of icy and dusty matter, represent relatively unmodified material dating back to the time of the formation of the solar system. These objects did not accrete into planets and remain as evidence of the conditions in the early solar nebula. Among the given options, asteroids and comets are best described as leftover planetesimals that never accreted into planets (4).

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