The most likely mechanism for the solar system's formation appears to be:
A)a capture theory in which the planets were formed elsewhere and were captured by the gravitational pull of the Sun as they drifted through space.
B)the idea that the planets were formed deep in the interior of the Sun and were later flung out by the Sun's angular momentum.
C)that the solar system was once a galaxy, from which the Sun and planets are the remnants.
D)that a cloud of gas and dust condensed to form the Sun, while planets formed later by condensation and accretion within the nebular disk.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The most widely accepted theory for the solar system's formation is the nebular hypothesis, which suggests that a cloud of gas and dust (a nebula) collapsed due to gravity, which caused it to spin and eventually flatten into a disk shape. The central part of this disk became the Sun, while the surrounding material clumped together to form the planets through a process of accretion (collecting particles and growing larger). This theory is supported by observations of other star-forming regions and the composition of the planets and asteroids in our solar system.

The Most Likely Mechanism for the Solar System's Formation Appears