Which of the following lists Earth's compositional layers in order of increasing density?
A.
core, mantle, crust
B.
mantle, crust, core
C.
crust, mantle, core
D.
crust, core, mantle
D. crust, core, mantle
The correct order of Earth's compositional layers in increasing density is:
C. crust, mantle, core
To determine the correct answer, we need to understand the composition and density of Earth's layers. Here is a step-by-step explanation of how we can determine the order of Earth's compositional layers based on their density:
1. The outermost layer of Earth is the crust, which is composed of solid rocks and soil. The crust is the thinnest layer and has the lowest density among all the layers.
2. Moving inward, we reach the mantle. The mantle is mainly made up of solid rock but is capable of flowing due to its high temperature and pressure. The mantle has a higher density compared to the crust.
3. The innermost layer of Earth is the core, which can be further divided into two parts: the inner core and the outer core. The outer core is composed of liquid iron and nickel, while the inner core is solid. The core has the highest density among all the layers.
Based on this information, we can determine that the correct answer is:
C. crust, mantle, core
The layers are listed in order of increasing density, starting from the least dense crust, moving to the denser mantle, and ending with the core, which has the highest density.