Question

The dependence of planetesimal composition on distance from the Sun and the existence of the frost line resulted in two main types of planets in our Solar System: the inner rocky planets and the outer gas giants. The gas giants are observed to be made mostly of hydrogen and helium. Given this observation and what you have learned about planetesimal formation through accretion, and the types of materials that condensed at that distance from the Sun, which of the following is the most likely way that the gas giants formed?

A. They must have formed elsewhere and been captured by the Sun's gravity because hydrogen and helium could not condense into a solid at the temperature of the Solar Nebula.
B. Hydrogen and helium condensed into a solid and accreted to form the gas giants.
C. Rock, metal, and ices made of materials like water, ammonia, and methane condensed into a solid and grew large enough to gravitationally attract hydrogen and helium gas from the Solar Nebula.

Answer 1

Answer: C

Step-by-step explanation:

From the information about dependence of planetesimal composition on distance from the Sun and the existence of the frost line resulted in two main types of planets in our Solar System: the inner rocky planets and the outer gas giants. We have learned that planetesimal formation through accretion, and the types of materials that condensed at that distance from the Sun.

the most likely way the gas Giants are formed includes;

1) Metals: this metals can be, iron, nickel, aluminum. They condense at Temperature= 1,600 K and comprise only 0.2% of the nebula.

2) Rocks: which are silicon-based minerals that condense at Temperature =500-1,300 K and comprises only 0.4% of the nebula.

3) Ices: contains hydrogen compounds like methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3), water (H2O) that condense at 150 K Temperature and make up 1.4% of the nebula.

4) Light gases: these light gases includes, hydrogen and helium that never condensed in the disk (98% of the disk which are gravitationally attracted.

Answer 2

c. Rock, metal, and ices made of materials like water, ammonia, and methane condensed into a solid and grew large enough to gravitationally attract hydrogen and helium gas from the Solar Nebula.

Step-by-step explanation:

Given the information about dependence of planetesimal composition on distance from the Sun and the existence of the frost line resulted in two main types of planets in our Solar System: the inner rocky planets and the outer gas giants. I have learned that planetesimal formation through accretion, and the types of materials that condensed at that distance from the Sun, will lead to the formation of Rock, metal, and ices made of materials like water, ammonia, and methane condensed into a solid and grew large enough to gravitationally attract hydrogen and helium gas from the Solar Nebula.