The majority of asteroids exist in the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. W

Question

The majority of asteroids exist in the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. Why would that be the case? The are two main possibilities: There used to be a planet there that was destroyed in a giant impact, or the planetesimals there were somehow prevented from forming a planet in the first place. To figure out which of these is correct, we can look at spectra to determine the composition of the asteroids themselves and study actual samples of asteroids that fell to Earth—that is, meteorites.

The figure below explains the difference between the types of asteroids and meteorites.

Based on the figure, which asteroid types would be more common if they were the result of a shattered planet?

1 Thermal energy from 2 Some planetesimals impacts and radioactive decay heated a newly formed rocky planetesimal just cooled off in their original state... C-type chondrite 4 Further impactsforming the different shattered these planetesimals classes of asteroids and meteorites we see today Iron meteorite_ Achondrite Stony- iron meteorite Light materials in mantle and crust Iron and nickel 3 but others got hot enough for their interiors to melt and differentiate. -M-type asteroid asteroid The fate of a rocky planetesimal in the young Solar System depends on whether it gets large and hot enough to melt and differentiate, as well as on the impacts it experiences. Different histories led to the different types of asteroids and meteorites found today. (Earth is not to scale.)

Explanation / Answer

Ans Opt (B,D)

To understand the question you have to understand a whole bunch of geochemistry. First thing, only a simple theory can not explain the formation of meterite and the asteroid, for example only meteric impact destroyed the planet because if that is the case then why earth did not destroyed, as there was also a heavy bombardment during early earth formation!!! or some other factors like gravitational stability to hold a planet. Another important thing is that the orbital plane of that hypothetical 10th planet in the solar system was not stable as there is much gravitational pull from the Jupiter and Mars. Hence an integral theory can explain the formation of the asteroid belt formation for example a slow accration and hence very slow rate of growth of the gravitational field and some meteoric impact actually destroyed the newly formed planet.

- c type asteroid- carbonaceous asteroid,

- m type- made up of NI-Fe and mixed with some amount of stone mixed (Iron stony asteroid)

- s type - stony asteroid

- %of C type > % of S type > % of M type.

- C type is the most primitive asteroid where as the other two are more differentiated hence a shattered planet will have more and more differentiated ateroid history as more collision will lead to more differentiation and S and M type of meteorites will be more.

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