Giant impact theory Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Giant impact theory - Assignment Example Grains of dust collided and formed bigger objects known as planetesimals. During collisions, many planetesimals break up during collision but the larger ones survive and become protoplanets and later planets. If these planetesimals had remained stationary, the solar system would be made of thousands of small objects such as planetesimals without any planets. Life would have been possible in small objects. Alternatively, planets would have been small. The third scenario is solar system would have formed. Larger planets have more internal heat to lose compared to smaller planets. In addition, there is proportionally smaller surface area to lose the heat from. The larger the planet, the bigger the less the surface are per unit volume. Small worlds or planets cool faster than the big world. When the planets completely cool off, they become geologically dead (Seeds, Michael and Backman 15). Planet earth is yet to cool of completely and this means it is geologically active. Activities taking place at the core of the earth are responsible for volcanism, movement of tectonic plates, cratering and others. Bigger plants are more geologically active. If rotation is faster, geologic activities