Give It Some Thought: The Solar System: Age of Planetary Bodies Planetary-origin

Question

Give It Some Thought: The Solar System: Age of Planetary Bodies

Planetary-origin theories explain the development of our planets by the gradual accretion of small dust particles and gas molecules, which developed into increasingly large objects and gradually evolved into planets. Planets and the Sun are thought to have originated from nebulae, which are clouds of gas and dust in space. These gases and dust were pulled to the center of the nebular cloud through the process of nebular contraction.

The concentrated mass in the center of the nebula formed the Sun. The crowding of matter around the center caused collisions between the accumulated dust particles, creating large clumps, which resulted in formation of the planets. But not all the clumps accreted to form these planets. Some of the clumps remained as embryonic bodies that clung to the edges of the solar system one example being Pluto. Others remained as asteroids and meteorites.

Part A

Look at the image of the solar system below with some of its planetary bodies. Based on what you know about the formation of our solar system, how old do you think these bodies/planets in our solar system are?

Rank from youngest to oldest. To rank items as equivalent, overlap them/stack them on top of each other.

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Jupiter

Pluto

Earth

Mercury

The Sun

An asteroid

Oldest

Youngest

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Jupiter

Pluto

Earth

Mercury

The Sun

An asteroid

Oldest

Youngest

Explanation / Answer

The age of the solar system is about 5 billion years. The age of the Earth is 4.543 Billion years. The sun is the first star that was formed in the solar system first. And it is older. After the Sun the younger bodies are The Asteroids(4.55 b.y) -- The Earth (4.543 b.y) -- The Mercury (4.503 b.y) -- The Jupitor (4.503 b.y) -- The Pluto.

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