Why did the early Earth differentiate into core and mantle?
A) Gravity pulled denser material to the interior and left less dense material on the outside.
B) Nucleosynthesis created an outer mantle layer from fusion of the elements in the core.
C) Gravity first pulled denser material into a protoplanet,and only later was mantle material added.
D) Spinning on its axis caused less dense mantle material to float outside the core.

Question

Why did the early Earth differentiate into core and mantle? 
A) Gravity pulled denser material to the interior and left less dense material on the outside. 
B) Nucleosynthesis created an outer mantle layer from fusion of the elements in the core. 
C) Gravity first pulled denser material into a protoplanet,and only later was mantle material added. 
D) Spinning on its axis caused less dense mantle material to float outside the core.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Gravity pulled denser material to the interior and left less dense material on the outside, leading to differentiation into core and mantle. This is known as the "iron catastrophe" hypothesis.

Why Did the Early Earth Differentiate into Core and Mantle