When parts of a gas cloud collapse, where does the material first form clumps?(1 point) Responses in less dense regions with more space between atoms in less dense regions with more space between atoms in denser regions with more space between atoms in denser regions with more space between atoms in less dense regions with little space between atoms in less dense regions with little space between atoms in denser regions with little space between atoms
The material first forms clumps in denser regions with more space between atoms.
When parts of a gas cloud collapse, the material first forms clumps in denser regions with more space between atoms.
When parts of a gas cloud collapse, the material first tends to form clumps in denser regions with more space between atoms. To understand why, we need to consider the process of gravitational collapse.
A gas cloud consists of atoms or molecules that are spread out over a large volume. These atoms or molecules are in constant motion, and their random motions keep them dispersed throughout the cloud. However, if there is a slight overdensity in one region of the cloud due to random fluctuations, the force of gravity starts to come into play.
Gravity pulls matter together, and as the gas cloud collapses under its own gravity, the density of the matter increases. At the same time, the collapsing region starts to experience an increase in pressure due to the weight of the material above it. As the density and pressure increase, the gas particles in this region get packed closer together, freeing up more space in the surrounding regions.
Eventually, the gravitational attraction between particles in the denser region overcomes the gas pressure and thermal motions, causing the gas to become more tightly bound and collapse further. The density continues to increase, leading to clumping of material in the denser regions with more space between atoms.
It's important to note that while denser regions provide more space between atoms compared to their surroundings, the overall space between atoms decreases as the collapse progresses. Thus, the initial formation of clumps occurs in denser regions with relatively more space between atoms, but as clumps form, the space between atoms decreases further.