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what is core ? |
Core is the one of the structure of the interior of the Earth .Earth's Core is thought to be composed mainly of an iron and nickel
alloy. This composition is assumed based upon calculations of its
density and upon the fact that many meteorites (which are thought to be
portions of the interior of a planetary body) are iron-nickel alloys.
The core is earth's source of internal heat because it contains
radioactive materials which release heat as they break down into more
stable substances.
The core is divided into two different zones. The outer core is a liquid because the temperatures there are adequate to melt the iron-nickel alloy. However, the inner core is a solid even though its temperature is higher than the outer core. Here, tremendous pressure, produced by the weight of the overlying rocks is strong enough to crowd the atoms tightly together and prevents the liquid state. |