Why do scientists feel the heaviest material sank to the center of the Earth?(1 point)
Responses
as the earth cooled, all of the materials formed in the crust.
as the earth cooled, all of the materials formed in the crust.
as the earth cooled, the lighter materials settled to the bottom and the heavier materials rose to the top
as the earth cooled, the lighter materials settled to the bottom and the heavier materials rose to the top
as the earth cooled, the heavier materials settled to the bottom and the lighter materials rose to the top.
as the earth cooled, the heavier materials settled to the bottom and the lighter materials rose to the top.
as the earth cooled, the materials crumbled.
The correct response is: as the earth cooled, the heavier materials settled to the bottom and the lighter materials rose to the top.
The reason scientists believe that the heaviest material sank to the center of the Earth is that, as the Earth cooled, the lighter materials settled to the bottom and the heavier materials rose to the top.
Scientists believe that the heaviest materials sank to the center of the Earth because as the Earth cooled, a process called differentiation occurred. During this process, the materials in the early Earth were not evenly distributed. Instead, the heavier materials like iron and nickel sank towards the center, forming the core, while the lighter materials rose to the top, forming the crust.
To understand how scientists came to this conclusion, they gather evidence from various sources. One important source of evidence is meteorites, which are remnants of primitive solar system material. By studying the composition of meteorites, scientists can compare it to the composition of Earth and make inferences about the distribution of materials during Earth's formation.
Additionally, scientists also study seismic waves and earthquakes to learn about the internal structure of the Earth. By analyzing the behavior of seismic waves as they travel through different layers of the Earth, scientists can deduce the presence of a dense core and less dense layers above it.
Overall, through a combination of studying meteorites, seismic waves, and other geological processes, scientists have determined that the heaviest materials sank to the center of the Earth while the lighter materials rose to the top, resulting in the layered structure we observe today.