Two scientists are attempting to determine whether an object is a comet or an asteroid. The table lists the questions they have and their observations. Question Answer Where was the object observed? the Oort cloud What is the object made of? dust and ice Does the object have a visible tail? no Scientist 1 determines that the object is a comet while scientist 2 determines that the object is an asteroid. Which scientist is correct and why? (1 point) Responses Scientist 2 is correct. Because asteroids are made of dust and ice, asteroids are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than comets, and an asteroid would not develop a visible tail that far away from the Sun. Scientist 2 is correct. Because asteroids are made of dust and ice, asteroids are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than comets, and an asteroid would not develop a visible tail that far away from the Sun. Scientist 2 is correct. Because asteroids are made of dust and ice, asteroids are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than comets, and only comets, not asteroids, develop tails as they approach the Sun. Scientist 2 is correct. Because asteroids are made of dust and ice, asteroids are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than comets, and only comets, not asteroids, develop tails as they approach the Sun. Scientist 1 is correct. Because comets are made of dust and ice, comets are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than asteroids, and only asteroids, not comets, develop tails as they approach the Sun. Scientist 1 is correct. Because comets are made of dust and ice, comets are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than asteroids, and only asteroids, not comets, develop tails as they approach the Sun. Scientist 1 is correct. Because comets are made of dust and ice, comets are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than asteroids, and a comet would not develop a visible tail that far away from the Sun.

Question

Two scientists are attempting to determine whether an object is a comet or an asteroid. The table lists the questions they have and their observations. Question Answer Where was the object observed? the Oort cloud What is the object made of? dust and ice Does the object have a visible tail? no Scientist 1 determines that the object is a comet while scientist 2 determines that the object is an asteroid. Which scientist is correct and why? (1 point) Responses Scientist 2 is correct. Because asteroids are made of dust and ice, asteroids are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than comets, and an asteroid would not develop a visible tail that far away from the Sun. Scientist 2 is correct. Because asteroids are made of dust and ice, asteroids are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than comets, and an asteroid would not develop a visible tail that far away from the Sun. Scientist 2 is correct. Because asteroids are made of dust and ice, asteroids are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than comets, and only comets, not asteroids, develop tails as they approach the Sun. Scientist 2 is correct. Because asteroids are made of dust and ice, asteroids are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than comets, and only comets, not asteroids, develop tails as they approach the Sun. Scientist 1 is correct. Because comets are made of dust and ice, comets are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than asteroids, and only asteroids, not comets, develop tails as they approach the Sun. Scientist 1 is correct. Because comets are made of dust and ice, comets are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than asteroids, and only asteroids, not comets, develop tails as they approach the Sun. Scientist 1 is correct. Because comets are made of dust and ice, comets are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than asteroids, and a comet would not develop a visible tail that far away from the Sun.

Answer 1

Scientist 1 is correct. Because comets are made of dust and ice, comets are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than asteroids, and only asteroids, not comets, develop tails as they approach the Sun.

Answer 2

Scientist 2 is correct. Because asteroids are made of dust and ice, asteroids are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud than comets, and an asteroid would not develop a visible tail that far away from the Sun.

Answer 3

Scientist 2 is correct. To determine whether the object is a comet or an asteroid, we can consider the observations provided.

1. Where was the object observed? The object was observed in the Oort cloud. This information suggests that the object is more likely to be an asteroid rather than a comet. While both comets and asteroids can be found in the outer regions of the solar system, comets are more commonly associated with the Oort cloud. Therefore, this observation supports the possibility of the object being an asteroid.

2. What is the object made of? The object is made of dust and ice. This characteristic is often associated with comets, as they are composed of a mixture of dust and ice. However, it is important to note that asteroids can also contain these materials to some extent. Therefore, this observation alone is not conclusive in determining the nature of the object.

3. Does the object have a visible tail? The object does not have a visible tail. This is an important observation as comets typically develop a visible tail as they approach the Sun due to the sublimation of their icy compositions. On the other hand, asteroids do not develop tails. This observation strongly suggests that the object is an asteroid rather than a comet.

Taking all these observations into account, scientist 2 correctly determines that the object is an asteroid. The absence of a visible tail and the fact that it was observed in the Oort cloud, along with the possibility of asteroids containing dust and ice, support this conclusion.

Therefore, scientist 2 is correct in identifying the object as an asteroid.