Question
Which event happened first in Earth’s evolution on the geologic time scale?
Energy from collisions melted materials that became Earth’s core.
The Sun released a strong burst that destroyed the first atmosphere.
A ball of dust, ice, and rock was pulled together by gravity.
Dense materials hardened to form the crust and mantle.
Energy from collisions melted materials that became Earth’s core.
The Sun released a strong burst that destroyed the first atmosphere.
A ball of dust, ice, and rock was pulled together by gravity.
Dense materials hardened to form the crust and mantle.
Answers
GPT-5 mini
"A ball of dust, ice, and rock was pulled together by gravity."
Explanation: accretion of dust and planetesimals into a protoplanet is the first step; subsequent collisions heated and melted the interior (forming the core), solar activity could strip a primordial atmosphere, and later cooling produced the crust and mantle.
Explanation: accretion of dust and planetesimals into a protoplanet is the first step; subsequent collisions heated and melted the interior (forming the core), solar activity could strip a primordial atmosphere, and later cooling produced the crust and mantle.