Describe the steps in the formation of the Solar System according to the nebular theory. (E)

Short Answer

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The formation of the Solar System according to the nebular theory involves the following steps: 1) The initial state of the Solar Nebula, composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, collapses due to a disturbance like a supernova explosion. 2) Gravitational collapse and rotation cause the cloud to flatten into a disk shape. 3) A dense, hot protostar forms at the center of the disk and eventually becomes the Sun. 4) The remaining disk material forms the protoplanetary disk where particles begin to clump together and grow in size through accretion. 5) Over millions of years, collisions and accretions lead to the formation of planets, moons, asteroids, and other celestial bodies, while the remaining gas and dust are blown away by solar wind and radiation pressure.

Step by step solution

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1. Initial State of the Nebula

The nebular theory begins with an enormous gas cloud called the Solar Nebula, which was composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, along with traces of other elements. The Solar Nebula is assumed to have been part of a larger molecular cloud that has experienced some disturbance, such as a supernova explosion, triggering the cloud to start collapsing under its own gravity.
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2. Gravitational Collapse and Rotation

As the nebula started to collapse under its own gravity, it began to rotate. The conservation of angular momentum caused the rotation to increase as the cloud contracted. Over time, the cloud flattened into a rotating disk shape in a process called "centrifugal collapse."
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3. Formation of the Protostar

At the center of this rotating disk, the gas and dust contracted, forming a dense, hot core called the "protostar." As the protostar accumulated more mass from the surrounding nebula, the pressure and temperature at its center increased, and nuclear fusion began. This marks the birth of the Sun.
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4. Formation of the Protoplanetary Disk

During the gravitational collapse, the flattened rotating disk became the protoplanetary disk, composed of gas and dust. Inside the protoplanetary disk, particles began to clump together, forming larger bodies. Through a process called "accretion," these bodies grew in size by attracting nearby particles.
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5. Formation of the Planets and Other Celestial Bodies

Over millions of years, solid bodies within the protoplanetary disk continued to grow by collisions and accretions. Eventually, they formed the planets, moons, asteroids, and other celestial bodies that we see today in our Solar System. The remaining gas and dust were either incorporated into the newly formed celestial bodies or blown away by solar wind and radiation pressure from the young Sun. This marks the end of the Solar System formation according to the nebular theory.

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