I am having trouble with this one question. Please help? (:
Explain why Earth and other planets were not solid when they formed during the beginning of the Precambrian, approximately 4,600 million years ago (MYA)
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If you guys are still looking for answers if you go to part 1 of the question there is a link that you use to find the answer.I hope this helped :)
Because collisions between large planetesimals release a lot of heat, the Earth and other planets would have been molten.
(Brian R. Speer created the original Archean page, 3/9/1997; Ben M. Waggoner created the original Hadean page, 2/20/1996; Dave Smith combined the content into a single page, adapted it to the new site format, and made some content changes, 7/7/2011; Shark Bay photo courtesy of Allen Collins (?); Nebula M16 photo courtesy of NASA, ESA, STScI, J. Hester and P. Scowen (Arizona State University); asteroid Ida photo courtesy of NASA and the JPL at the beginning of their histories.)
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@Melissa bowers. You're plagiarizing. These aren't even your answers.
FYI I am not plagiarizing because all the credit is given to the people who made it |-/
Of course! Understanding why Earth and other planets were not solid when they formed during the beginning of the Precambrian requires a look into the early stages of planetary formation and the processes that shaped them. Here is an explanation of the topic, which should help you answer your question:
During the early stages of the solar system's formation, about 4.6 billion years ago, a giant molecular cloud collapsed under its own gravity, forming a rotating disk called the protoplanetary disk. Within this disk, small particles, such as dust and ice, came together through a process called accretion. These particles collided and began to stick together, gradually forming larger objects called planetesimals.
As planetesimals continued to collide and gravitationally attract other particles, they grew in size and eventually formed protoplanets, such as Earth. At this stage, these protoplanets were still not solid. Instead, they were composed of a mixture of gas, dust, and molten material.
Various factors contributed to the molten nature of protoplanets during this time. One factor is the heat generated by the kinetic energy of particles colliding with each other. Additionally, radioactive decay of unstable isotopes within the material of the protoplanets also contributed to the internal heating.
Over time, as protoplanets grew larger, the interior temperature increased due to the increasing gravitational pressure. This led to the melting of rocks and the formation of a partially molten layer within the protoplanets. As the protoplanets continued to accrete more material, the heat caused by collisions and the decay of radioactive isotopes further contributed to their molten state.
Eventually, the protoplanets differentiated into layers based on their composition and density. The densest materials sank towards the center, forming the core, while lighter materials rose to the surface. This process, known as planetary differentiation, eventually led to the formation of a solid crust on the surface of Earth and other planets.
In summary, during the formation of Earth and other planets, they were not solid because they started as a mixture of gas, dust, and molten material. The heat generated by collisions, the decay of radioactive isotopes, and increasing gravitational pressure caused the protoplanets to become partially molten. With time, as the protoplanets continued to accrete more material and underwent differentiation, they eventually developed solid crusts.