Question: where was the object observed? Answer: the Oort cloud
Question: what is the object made of? Answer: Dust and Ice
Question: does the object have a visible tail? Answer: 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
A 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.
B 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 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.
C 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.
B 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.
C 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.
B 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.
The correct answer is:
B 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.
To determine the correct answer, we need to consider the characteristics of asteroids and comets. While both are made of dust and ice, the location and behavior of these objects differ.
Comets are more likely to be found in the Oort cloud, a region in the outermost part of the solar system, beyond the orbit of Neptune. They have highly elliptical orbits that bring them closer to the Sun. As comets approach the Sun, the solar heat causes the ice in the nucleus to vaporize, creating a glowing coma (atmosphere) and a visible tail composed of dust and gas. Therefore, comets typically have a visible tail when they are closer to the Sun.
On the other hand, asteroids are primarily found in the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter. They usually have more circular or elliptical orbits, and don't typically come as close to the Sun as comets. As a result, asteroids do not develop a visible tail, even when they are far away from the Sun.
In this scenario, since the object was observed in the Oort cloud and does not have a visible tail, scientist 2, who identified the object as an asteroid, is correct. The combination of the Oort cloud location and the lack of a tail aligns with the characteristics of asteroids rather than comets.