Chapter 1: Problem 17

Why do all planets orbit the Sun in roughly the same plane? (E)

Short Answer

Expert verified

All planets orbit the Sun in roughly the same plane because they formed from the protoplanetary disk, a flat, spinning structure that resulted from the conservation of angular momentum during the collapse of the Solar Nebula. The planets inherited their orbital plane from the disk, ensuring that they all orbit the Sun in approximately the same plane.

Step by step solution

1. Formation of the Solar System

The Solar System was formed around 4.6 billion years ago from a giant cloud of gas and dust called the Solar Nebula. The process of formation began with the Nebula collapsing under its own gravity. As the cloud collapsed, it started to spin due to the conservation of angular momentum.

2. Disk-shaped structure

As the cloud continued to collapse and spin, its spinning motion caused the cloud to flatten into a disk-shaped structure called the protoplanetary disk, with the Sun forming at the center. This disk-shaped structure is a result of the conservation of angular momentum and the balance of forces acting on the particles in the cloud. In this flattened structure, both gravitational force and centripetal force play a crucial role.

3. Conservation of angular momentum

Angular momentum is a measure of the motion of an object that is rotating around a specific axis. In the case of the Solar System, the angular momentum was conserved as the cloud of gas and dust collapsed. Due to this conservation, the spinning motion of the cloud became faster, and the particles in the cloud remained in roughly the same plane as they orbited the center (where the Sun would eventually form).

4. Formation of planets

Within the protoplanetary disk, small solid particles started to collide and stick together, forming larger clumps. Over time, these clumps grew in size, accumulating more and more material, eventually forming the planets that we see today. Since the planets formed within the protoplanetary disk, they inherited the same orbital plane, which explains why their orbits are roughly in the same plane around the Sun.

5. Conclusion

The orbits of all planets in the Solar System lie roughly in the same plane because they formed from the protoplanetary disk, which was a flat, spinning structure. This flat structure was a result of the conservation of angular momentum during the collapse of the Solar Nebula. The planets inherited their orbital plane from the disk, which ensures that they all orbit the Sun in approximately the same plane.

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Why do all planets orbit the Sun in roughly the same plane? (E)

Short Answer

Step by step solution

1. Formation of the Solar System

2. Disk-shaped structure

3. Conservation of angular momentum

4. Formation of planets

5. Conclusion

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