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11. Why are the outer planets larger than the inner planets? flolar wind blew most of the planet building material to the outer solar system. The gravity is stronger in the outer solar system E More asteroids than comets formed in the early solar system E More comets than asteroids formed in the early solar system

Question

11. Why are the outer planets larger than the inner planets?
flolar wind blew most of the planet building material to the
outer solar system.
The gravity is stronger in the outer solar system	E
More asteroids than comets formed in the early solar
system
E
More comets than asteroids formed in the early solar
system

11. Why are the outer planets larger than the inner planets? flolar wind blew most of the planet building material to the outer solar system. The gravity is stronger in the outer solar system E More asteroids than comets formed in the early solar system E More comets than asteroids formed in the early solar system

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RosalindMaster · Tutor for 5 years

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'Solar wind blew most of the planet-building materials to the outer solar system.' and 'More comets than asteroids formed in the early solar system.'

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## Step 1<br />The first step in understanding why outer planets are larger than inner planets is to consider the formation of our solar system. The solar system was formed from a protoplanetary disk or solar nebula, which is a flat, rotating disk of gas and dust.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The dust and gas in the solar nebula began to clump together under gravity, forming larger and larger bodies. These bodies, due to their composition and proximity to the sun, cooled and solidified into different types of matter.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />Rocky material, which solidifies at higher temperatures, was closer to the sun and formed the inner planets, including Earth. These planets are made up of denser materials like rock and metal.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />On the other hand, ices such as water, methane, and ammonia, which solidify at cooler temperatures, were located further away from the sun. These ices, along with gases, formed the outer planets.<br /><br />## Step 5<br />The gravitational forces in the solar system also played a role in the formation of the planets. The gravity of the sun pulled in the rocky material closer to it, while the gravity of the newly formed sun and the gravitational interactions between the particles in the disk pushed the icy and gaseous material further out.<br /><br />## Step 6<br />Therefore, the size difference between inner and outer planets is not due to the strength of gravity in the outer solar system, but rather the composition of the material, the cooling and solidification process, and the gravitational interactions during the formation of the solar system.
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