Answer – The outer core is made up of iron and nickel that are in a liquid state.
Explanation:
The Earth can be divided into three main parts based on the difference in composition of each – core, mantle and crust. The core is the innermost section, beginning about 3,170 miles below the surface of the Earth.
Due to their natures, the core can further be divided into two layers – the outer and inner core. While the temperatures in this region are the highest, and above the melting point of iron, the inner core is actually a solid layer. This is due to high pressures exerted on it by the layers above it. The Bullen discontinuity acts as the boundary between the two. Thus, the outer core is the only section of the Earth that is entirely liquid.
The overall composition of the core is more or less uniform; it is made up of the metals iron and nickel. The alloy of the two present in the core is called NiFe (the scientific abbreviations of their names). However, the liquid nature of the outer core means iron here is in a more fluid state, capable of movement. This movement of iron in the outer core is responsible for the Earth’s magnetic field.
