Question

The fact that some asteroids are very fragile is important because it tells us that:

a) samples of these asteroids are reliable indicators of the composition of the early solar system
b) we are not at risk if such asteroids hit Earth
c) tidal gravity can destroy these asteroids, if they come too close to planets
d) there is not much distinction between comets and asteroids
e) returning samples of asteroids to Earth will not be as difficult as was first thought

Answer 1

The fragility of some asteroids suggests that they have not experienced significant heating, preserving their original composition and making them important indicators of the early solar system's composition.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fact that some asteroids are very fragile is significant as it provides insights into the composition of the early solar system. Their fragile nature suggests that many asteroids, especially the smaller ones, have not been heated to the point of melting. Because of this, they retain their original composition, thus acting as chemical fossils that help us understand the solar system's formative period.

The correct answer to the student's question is therefore (a) samples of these asteroids are reliable indicators of the composition of the early solar system. Understanding the composition of asteroids is also pertinent to discussions of the potential for mining them for resources and assessing the risk they pose to Earth due to impacts. Asteroids and comets have not changed much since their creation, and they can give us clues about the early solar system that have otherwise been erased on larger bodies like planets.