How were the rocky inner planets formed?
1 Answer
The rocky planets were formed from heavier elements and compounds clumping together.
Explanation:
The solar system was formed from a cloud of dust and gas. This collapsed under gravity to for the sun with a disk of material orbiting around it.
Solid particles which are dust and ices started to clump together to form larger and larger objects. They become what are known as planetesimals.
In the region closest to the sun, which is inside what is known as the ice line, the solid particles are mainly dust. Volatile lighter molecules are gases in this reason. They can't clump together and get blown further out by the solar wind.
So, what is left inside the ice line is mainly heavier and non-volatile elements and compounds. These ultimately clumped together to form the rocky inner planets.
