Question

The nebular theory of the formation of the solar system successfully predicts all but one of the following. Which one does the theory not predict?

1) the equal number of terrestrial and jovian planets
2) the craters on the Moon
3) asteroids, Kuiper-belt comets, and the Oort cloud
4) the compositional differences between the terrestrial and jovian planets
5) Planets orbit around the Sun in nearly circular orbits in a flattened disk.

Answer 1

The nebular theory of the formation of the solar system does not predict the compositional differences between the terrestrial and jovian planets.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nebular theory of the formation of the solar system successfully predicts all except one of the given options. The compositional differences between the terrestrial and jovian planets is not predicted by the theory. The nebular theory explains how the solar system formed from a collapsing interstellar cloud of gas and dust, and how condensation in the spinning disk led to the formation of planetesimals that later became the building blocks of the planets. The theory also accounts for the presence of asteroids, Kuiper-belt comets, and the Oort cloud, as well as the orbital characteristics of the planets around the Sun.