how does the mass available to build planets change with distance from the sun?
how does the mass available to build planets change with distance from the sun?
Answer: The mass available to build planets does not change significantly with distance from the Sun within the same solar system. The total mass of material available to form celestial bodies in a solar system is primarily determined by the mass of the central star, in this case, the Sun. This mass is enormous and remains relatively constant throughout the solar system.
However, what does change with distance from the Sun is the distribution and composition of this material. The process of planet formation occurs within a protoplanetary disk, a rotating disk of gas and dust surrounding a young star like the Sun. This disk contains the raw materials (dust particles, gases, and ices) that can clump together and form planets.
Here’s how the distribution and composition of material change with distance from the Sun:
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Closer to the Sun (Inner Solar System): In the inner solar system, closer to the Sun, temperatures are higher due to the Sun’s intense radiation. As a result, volatile compounds (like water, carbon dioxide, and methane) tend to be in a gaseous state or are less abundant. Rocky planets, such as Earth and Mars, formed in this region from materials that were rich in metals and silicates.
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Farther from the Sun (Outer Solar System): In the outer solar system, where temperatures are much colder, volatile compounds can exist as ices. This region is where gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn formed. These planets have a core of rock and metal, but they accumulated massive atmospheres of hydrogen and helium.
So, while the total mass available to build planets remains constant, the conditions and composition of the material vary with distance from the Sun, leading to the formation of different types of planets depending on their location within the solar system.