Question

Which of these events most likely happened during the formation of Earth's lithosphere?

Answer 1

The heaviest elements settled in the Earth's center during the formation of Earth's lithosphere

Explanation:

Earth's lithosphere comprises the crust and the uppermost mantle, which form the strong and rigid external layer of the Earth.

The Earth, on the other hand, begins with a core of iron and radioactive materials such as uranium and plutonium, which deliver energy in the form of heat, within a process known as nuclear fission. It passed by a fusion stage - a "liquid-pasty" state - which provided that, due to gravity, the more solid materials dropped towards the center, while the smaller ones floated towards the crust, a process called planetary differentiation.

Answer 2

The heaviest elements settled in the Earth’s center during the formation of Earth's lithosphere.

Explanation:

Earth’s lithosphere and the inner core were formed due to differential mass segregation of elements.

Continuous heating and cooling processes made the heavier elements to settle first in the center of core of the Earth. This led the lighter elements to float on top to the outermost layers and heavier ones to sink to the core.

These heavy elements included iron, nickel, sulfur, etc.; while the lighter elements were oxygen, aluminum, silica, etc.

The Earth cools from outside to inside, a thin solid crust formed on the outer layers of the Earth.