2007-02-12 20:10:01 · 23 answers · asked by VWat22 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
I'm suprised at how many confusing and/or just plain wrong answers you've recieved.
There are two compositional zones of the Earth's core... The outer core is liquid - this is known because s-waves (seismic waves which don't pass through liquids) are unable to pass through the outer core. The inner core is solid, this is known because of the behavior of p-waves (seismic waves that do pass through liquids, but are refracted by liquids, so you can tell when they pass through a liquid instead of a solid).
The mantle is also solid rock (NOT LIQUID), if you hit it with a hammer it would "clink" like rocks on the surface. There are pockets of magma - but for the most part the mantle is very solid. Again, this is known by the behavior of seismic waves. The mantle will deform plastically, but it flows like a glacier - not like liquid water.
So, the core has two parts - the inner core is solid metal, and the outer core is liquid metal.
2007-02-12 23:57:33 · answer #1 · answered by brooks b 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1. The pressure increases as you go closer to the center. Pressure is accompanied by heat, and thus the outer core is molten magma. However, as it gets closer and closer the pressure becomes more intense and at a stage - the inner core - it becomes solid, extremely hot, metal. 2. No, our planet is a planet, and stars are stars. They are quite different in both composition and properties. Our planet has not and never will follow the stages in life a star does. (About Earth sprouting life: Earth has a natural balance - being not too close and not too far from the sun to create life.) 3. This question is a little confusing. If you're referring to your first question - then yes. Except, the pressure of being under the entire earth is a lot more than that of being under an ocean of water. 4. Nobody can really test that, because drilling to the core is impossible as of yet. I don't believe we can even drill past the mantle (after the crust) since - it's liquid.
2016-05-24 04:36:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
After the 30 or so miles of crust we have on earth, we then have the plastic flowing solid of the mantle, it is wrong to say that its a not a solid but it does flow - in a similar way to porridge.
The outer core is a liquid this is known due to the lack of penetration and defraction around it by secondary seismic waves.
The deflection of the waves and the changes in the speed of them is how we know how the different layers are characterised.
Therefore the way the earth is split up in terms of the state of the minerals goes crust (solid) - Mantle (plastic/flowing solid) - Outer Core (liquid) - Inner Core (solid)
2007-02-13 00:22:58 · answer #3 · answered by I8myjob 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The centre of the Earth is solid. It would be liquid due to the intense heat, but the extremely high pressures cause it to remain solid.
It is the solid iron core that gives us the Earth's magnetic field. Liquid iron would not produce a stable field.
2007-02-12 21:28:32 · answer #4 · answered by Labsci 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The inner core is said to be solid. The high pressure keeps it such even though the temperature is so high. The outer core is liquid although it liquid in the sense that glass and tarmac are liquid rather than water.
2007-02-12 20:23:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The inner core is solid. The outer core is liquid.
Outside of this is the mantle, which is solid but soaked in liquid, like sand which is soaked in water, except that it is not water but molten rock.
All of these has been discovered by measuring the vibrations created by earthquakes.
2007-02-12 20:16:53 · answer #6 · answered by Gnomon 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
When we are going inside the earth the temperature and pressure is increased. The asthenosphere below the lithosphere where we live is a semi solid and the mantle below that is liquid because of high temperature. But at the core the pressure is very high and therefore it is soild again. These data has been obtained by the seismology that is by the waves come from the interior of the earth due to various activities inside.
2007-02-12 20:27:42 · answer #7 · answered by chandrasiri kumara 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I believe the Earth has a solid inner iron core, a molten outer core, a molten mantle and solid crust.
2007-02-12 20:14:37 · answer #8 · answered by Nebby 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The core is made of molten iron but in the centre of the core the iron is under such pressure that it is forced into a compressed state that is effectively solid.
2007-02-12 20:28:19 · answer #9 · answered by monkeymanelvis 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I suppose our scientist don't really know if it is solid or molten rock. Over time our scientists may change their mind. So don't just accept everything what the book say. Nobody has been there yet. Sometime science are educated guesses.
2007-02-12 20:19:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋