The Widmanstätten patterns found in some meteorites show that the material
A)cooled very slowly.
B)cooled very rapidly.
C)was never heated to the point of being molten.
D)was molten just before it entered Earth's atmosphere.
E)is composed primarily of organic compounds.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Widmanstätten patterns are formed due to the slow cooling of metal alloys, such as those found in some meteorites, which allows for the growth of crystalline structures. This choice is supported by the fact that the option B and D explicitly mention rapid cooling or heating, respectively, which is contradictory. Option C is incorrect as the material must have been heated to a certain extent to form the patterns. Option E is incorrect as it mentions organic compounds which do not have any relationship with the formation of Widmanstätten patterns.

The Widmanstätten Patterns Found in Some Meteorites Show That the Material