Formation of the Solar System
Sun’s Mass
Jupiter’s Mass
7 other Planets,
Dwarf Planets,
Moons and other
Objects Mass
A massive star will produce a
supernova when it dies
Solar Nebula
Contains lighter elements (up to Iron) and
heavier elements created during supernova.
Protostar – becoming the Sun in
the center. It is formed by
gravity.
Inner Area - Planets formed
by Accretion
Outer Area – Planets formed
by Gravity
Jupiter –
It’s mass is short of being a
star. Formed by Condensation
Explain this diagram
Refractory Elements
• Refractory elements have very high
melting and condensation temperatures
• they tend to be solids at very high
temperatures
• examples: metals and silicates (types of
rocks)
Volatile Elements
• Volatile elements have very low melting
and condensation temperatures
• they tend to be gases (or maybe liquids)
unless the temperatures are extremely
low
• Examples: ices of…
water, ammonia, carbon dioxide, nitrogen
Inner Planets
Hotter
More Dense
Higher Melting Points
Volatiles boil off, resulting in small rocky planets
Refractory elements are left (Fe, Ni, Silicates)
Metallic cores
Nuclear Fusion in the
Sun creates Solar Wind which
pushes material outward
Sun’s Solar Magnetic Field
• The magnetic field of the Sun tends to
cause more positively charged ions to orbit
around the forming star, thus helping to
separate the volatiles from the refractory
materials which condensed first in the
cooling planetary nebula.
Sun’s Solar Winds carry Volatile
Materials to Outer Planets
• The lighter volatile materials (water,
ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane,
nitrogen) would have spiraled away from
the Sun along the Sun's magnetic field
lines and condensed much farther away in
the cooler regions where the Outer planets
orbit the Sun today.
• The denser, rocky materials formed
nearer to the Sun, while lighter, icy
materials condensed farther away
Outer Planets - Formed by gravity
Cooler
Less Dense
Lower Melting Points
Large planets, cores made of refractory elements
Most of the planet is made of volatile elements
Acquire large gas envelopes and moons can have ice
Contrasting atmospheres of
Inner and Outer Planets
• The inner planets became heated and melted
due to violent collisions with planetesimals. Their
primitive atmospheres were lost. Outgassing
from these planets through volcanic eruptions
eventually created secondary atmospheres.
• The outer planets because of their great masses
retained their primitive atmospheres.
Conflicting gravity from Jupiter
prevented the Asteroid Belt from
forming protoplanets.
Edge of Solar System -leftover and
ejected icy planetesimals form
Kuiper belt and Oort cloud
Kuiper Belt – Frozen gaseous
debris at 30–50 AU’s
Oort Cloud - outer bounds of
Solar System at 100,000 AU’s
Lesson Summary
• Inner planets _____ dense
• Cores of ______________
• Outer planets _____ dense
• Cores of ______________
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