which of the Earth's layers is composed of silicate material?
a. inner core
b. mantle
c. crust
d. outer core
b. mantle
The layer of the Earth that is composed of silicate material is the:
c. crust
The layer of the Earth that is composed of silicate material is the:
c. crust
To arrive at this answer, we need to understand the composition of each layer of the Earth:
1. Crust: This is the outermost layer, and it is primarily composed of solid rock. The continental crust is formed mainly of granite, while the oceanic crust is made up of basalt, both of which are silicate materials.
2. Mantle: The mantle lies beneath the crust and is mainly composed of solid rock, specifically silicate minerals such as olivine and pyroxene. However, the mantle is not exclusively silicate material, as it also contains other elements like iron and magnesium.
3. Outer Core: The outer core is a layer of molten or liquid iron and nickel. Therefore, it does not consist of silicate material.
4. Inner Core: The innermost layer of the Earth is believed to be primarily composed of solid iron and nickel. It is under extremely high pressure and temperature. Hence, the inner core is also not made up of silicate material.
Based on this information, we can conclude that the layer composed of silicate material is the crust.