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Solar System

The document describes the formation of the solar system and the differences between the inner and outer planets. It explains that the solar system formed from a nebula that flattened into a disk, with the inner planets like Earth forming near the sun from rock and the outer gas giants like Jupiter forming farther out where materials like methane could condense. The inner planets have dense cores while the outer planets are low density and mostly hydrogen and helium.

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skruzer
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9 views1 page

Solar System

The document describes the formation of the solar system and the differences between the inner and outer planets. It explains that the solar system formed from a nebula that flattened into a disk, with the inner planets like Earth forming near the sun from rock and the outer gas giants like Jupiter forming farther out where materials like methane could condense. The inner planets have dense cores while the outer planets are low density and mostly hydrogen and helium.

Uploaded by

skruzer
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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mli q u i d h yd ro g e n a n d h e li u m

n sm a ll ro c k y ce n te r
o ra d i i :
J u p i te r = 1 1 ra d i u s o f E a rth
S a tu rn = 9 ra d i u s o f E a rth
f li g h t sh e ll
g d e n se co re
h li g h t sh e ll
i d e n se co re
1Birth of the solar system
a
b
c
d
h
k
l
e
i
3 Inner planets
Mercury
Uranus and
Neptune
j
j d i a m e te r = 2 o r 3 th a t o f th e E a rth
k so li d wa te r, m e th a n e , a n d a m m o n i a
l li q u i d wa te r, m e th a n e , a n d a m m o n i a
a h yd ro g e n a n d h e li u m
b h e a v i e r e le m e n ts
c li g h te r e le m e n ts
d d e n se r i n n e r p la n e ts
e le ss d e n se o u te r p la n e ts
J upiter and
Saturn
m
n
o
Mars
4 Outer planets
g f
2 Formation of the inner
and outer planets
The solar system AT O M I C ST RUCT URE
1Birth of the solar system
G The solar system i sthought to have
formed about 4.6 bi lli on yearsago asa
result of nuclear fission i n the Sun.
G A nebula ( cloud) of gasesand dust
that resulted from the explosi on.
flattened i nto a di sk wi th a hi gh
concentrati on of matter at the center.
2 Formation of the inner
and outer planets
G Near the Sun, where the temperature
washi gh, volati le substancescould not
condense, so the i nner planets
( Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) are
domi nated by rock and metal. They
are smaller and more dense than those
farther from the Sun.
G I n the colder, outer areasof the di sk,
substancesli ke ammonia and
methanecondensed, whi le hydrogen
and heliumremai ned gaseous. I n thi s
regi on, the planetsformed ( Jupi ter,
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) were
gasgi ants.
3 Inner planets
G I nner planetsconsi st of a li ght shell
surroundi ng a dense core of metalli c
elements.
G Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun,
hasa proporti onately larger core than
Mars, the i nner planet farthest from
the Sun.
4 Outer planets
G The outer planetshave low densi ti es
and are composed pri mari ly of
hydrogen and heli um.
G The outer planetsare huge i n
compari son to the i nner planets.
G Jupi ter and Saturn, the largest of the
gasgi ants, contai n the greatest
percentagesof hydrogen and heli um;
the smaller Uranusand Neptune
contai n larger fracti onsof water,
ammoni a, and methane.
ammonia
fission
helium
hydrogen
methane
Key words
10

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