A rocky planet contains magnesium and iridium. The planet orbits a main sequence star about the same size as the Sun. The table gives the mass of one nucleus of three elements.
| Element | Mass of one nucleus in kg |
|---|---|
| Magnesium | 4.0 × 10⁻²⁶ |
| Iron | 9.3 × 10⁻²⁶ |
| Iridium | 3.2 × 10⁻²⁵ |
Explain how magnesium and iridium could have been formed. Use data from the table.
A student says that the iridium in the planet was made by the star that the planet orbits. Explain why the student is wrong.
84 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Physics 8.1 Solar system; stability of orbital motions; satellites, covering 8.1.1 Our solar system, 8.1.2 The life cycle of a star, and 8.1.3 Orbital motion, natural and artificial satellites. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.