Chapter 11, Problem 1TYC

To determine

To explain: The primary layers that make up our planet and what portion does the lithospheres include.

Answer to Problem 1TYC

The layers of the Earth include the dense inner core, outer mantle and the outermost layer called as the crust.

Explanation of Solution

Earth consists of land, water, rocky material, and air with gases like oxygen, and carbon-dioxide which are necessary for the survival of the human beings, animals, and plants. Earth consists of various minerals and metal elements like iron and nickel, in the rocky layers.

The primary layers of Earth include:

1) The center layer is called as the dense core layer consisting of the rocky material. The inner layer of this core is dense with solid material and outer layer is molten.

2) The outer layer is called as mantle. It contains soft rocks. There is tremendous heat in this zone which causes the formation of cyclic currents called as convection currents.

3) The outer most layer is the layer of crust. It contains thin rocks with low density. It is the outer-most layer of Earth.

The lithosphere includes the topmost part of mantle and the entire crust. The movement of the rocky material is caused by the high temperature which drags the plates of the lithosphere. These are called as plate tectonics. It is also called asthenosphere.