Earth's inner core

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/earth-s-inner-core

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the estimated radius?Approximately 1,220 kilometers (760 miles)
2. What is the estimated temperature?Around 5,200 degrees Celsius (9,392 degrees Fahrenheit)
3. How can the inner core be hot but still solid?The pressure at Earth's center is 3.6 million atmospheres, which keeps the metal solid even though it is very hot.
4. Why does the inner core help create Earth's magnetic field?When the inner core solidifies, it releases heat and lighter elements that stir the liquid outer core. The inner core also spins slightly faster, adding energy to the swirling liquid that makes the magnetic field.

Planetary Differentiation: The process by which a planet separates into layers based on density during its formation.
Geodynamo: The mechanism within a planet's core responsible for generating a magnetic field through the motion of conductive fluids.
Magnetosphere: The region around a planet dominated by its magnetic field, protecting it from charged particles.
Seismic Anisotropy: The property of a material where its physical properties, like seismic wave speed, vary with direction.