According to the nebular theory, how did the asteroid belt form?
A)It is material left over from the interstellar cloud that never contracted with the rest of the gases to form the solar nebula.
B)It is made of planetesimals formed in the outer solar system that were flung into distant orbits by encounters with the jovian planets.
C)It consists of objects that fragmented from the protosun during a catastrophic collision early in the formation of the solar system.
D)It is made of planetesimals that formed beyond Neptune's orbit and never accreted to form a planet.
E)It is made of planetesimals between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter that never formed into a planet.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The asteroid belt is located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and it is made of planetesimals that never formed into a planet due to the gravitational influence of Jupiter. This is consistent with the nebular theory, which suggests that the early solar system included a protoplanetary disk from which rocky planets formed through the process of accretion. However, the gravitational pull of Jupiter disrupted the formation of a planet in this region, leaving a belt of rocky debris instead.

According to the Nebular Theory, How Did the Asteroid Belt