The large gravitational influences of Jupiter and Saturn forced some planetisimals in their neighborhood to move outward away from the Sun.A consequence of these gravitational forces was:
A) that conservation of angular momentum caused the giant planets to spin faster.
B) collisions that produced many fragments that became the rings of the outer planets.
C) collisions that formed Uranus and Neptune.
D) the creation, or at least enlargement, of the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The large gravitational influences of Jupiter and Saturn forced some planetisimals in their neighborhood to move outward away from the Sun, which created, or at least enlarged, the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. This happened due to the gravitational slingshot effect, which caused these planetisimals to move away from the Sun and become part of the Kuiper Belt or the Oort Cloud. The formation of the rings of the outer planets and the creation of Uranus and Neptune are not directly related to the gravitational influences of Jupiter and Saturn. Conservation of angular momentum is an important principle, but it does not directly lead to the planets spinning faster as a result of the influence of Jupiter and Saturn.

The Large Gravitational Influences of Jupiter and Saturn Forced Some