1. When the solar system was forming, part of the protoplanetary disk was inside
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Question
1. When the solar system was forming, part of the protoplanetary disk was inside the ice line, and part of the disk was outside the ice line.
Define the ice line. How does it affect the material in the protoplanetary disk? (1 point)
Which category of planets is found outside the ice line? How do the properties of these planets reflect the location where they formed? (2 points)
What three features are required for an object to be a planet? Ganymede is larger than the planet Mercury and orbits Jupiter. Is it a planet? Why or why not? (4 points)
What do asteroids and comets have in common? How do they differ? List two similarities and two differences between these groups. (2 points)
An accident has dispersed a devastating amount of Cobalt Thorium G into Earth’s atmosphere. Scientists determine that the amount released is 4 times the maximum safe level of the element.
How many half-lives will pass before the amount of Cobalt Thorium G returns to a safe level? (2 points)
If the half-life of Cobalt Thorium G is 93 years, how many years will pass before the Earth is safe again? (1 point)
In order to be scientific, ideas must be falsifiable. The giant impact hypothesis explaining the origin of the moon could be falsified if the moon were found to possess a large iron core. Explain why. (4 points)
The greenhouse effect is an important factor determining the average climate enjoyed by terrestrial planets.
Explain in general terms how the greenhouse effect works. (2 points)
Methane is a strong greenhouse gas. How would adding additional methane to Earth’s atmosphere affect its average temperature? (1 point)
Both Mars and Venus have atmospheres made up of more than 90% CO2. Why then is Venus so much hotter than Mars? List two reasons. (2 points)
What are two features that scientists think are necessary for a planet to develop a global magnetic field? Why does the planet Mercury present a challenge to this understanding? (3 points)
Explanation / Answer
1. The ice line was a particular distance from the solar nebula where it was cold enough for the volatile substances like water, ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide to be in solid state.
2. The planets with heavy mass is found outside the ice line. As the temperature beyond the ice line drops the water, ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide condenses in to solid state so the actual soild mass is more than the planets in ice line where these compounds are not totally condensed. This means the density of planets outside the ice line is heavy and the mass is also larger in the cold temperature.
3.
a) The planet should orbit around the sun.
b) It should have sufficient mass to get the spherical shape due to gravity.
c) It should have clear neighborhood around its orbit.
Ganymede is not a planet because it does not orbit around the sun. If it would have been orbiting around the sun then it would be easily called as sun.
Please ask the rest of the question in separate questionnaire
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