Question

How do the compositions of comets provide clues to the formation of the solar system? Drag the terms on the left to the appropriate blanks on the right to complete the sentences. Reset Help light gases, which are Comets are composed of nucleus, dust, and elements such as frozen hot The fact that comets come from the outer reaches of the solar system tells us that those elements were very in the early days of the solar system. methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide heavy hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen abundant rare

Answer 1

Comets provide clues to the formation of the solar system through their compositions of light gases, frozen volatile compounds, and heavy elements.

Step-by-step explanation:

The compositions of comets provide clues to the formation of the solar system in several ways:

1. Comets are composed of light gases, which are rare in the inner solar system. The fact that comets come from the outer reaches of the solar system tells us that those elements were very abundant in the early days of the solar system.
2. Comets consist of elements such as methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide, which are frozen in their icy cores. The presence of these elements in comets suggests that the solar system formed in a region where these volatile compounds were plentiful.
3. Comets also contain heavy elements like hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, which are relatively rare in the inner solar system. This implies that the formation processes in the inner solar system excluded much of these lighter elements.

Answer 2

The composition of comets, which includes frozen light gases and dust, provides insight into the conditions of the early solar system, suggesting that these elements were abundant in the colder outer regions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The compositions of comets are crucial for understanding the formation of the solar system because they are thought to be some of the most primitive objects within it. These icy bodies are composed of frozen gases such as water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide, and they tend to originate from the colder, outer regions of the solar system. This implies that in the early solar system, light gases and ices were more abundant in these distant areas. Because comets have remained largely unchanged since the solar system's formation, they are like cosmic time capsules, holding clues about the conditions and materials that were present at that time.