Question

question 4 of 6
4 what evidence does the author use to support the giant impact theory? choose two.

• earth and moon rocks are almost chemically identical
• the moon’s size is massive compared to earth’s size
• the moon is about one - quarter of earth’s diameter

Explanation:

1. The giant impact theory proposes the Moon formed from debris of a collision between early Earth and a Mars-sized body. Chemically identical Earth and Moon rocks support this, as the debris would share Earth's composition.
2. The Moon's large size (one-quarter Earth's diameter) is unusual for a planetary satellite, and the giant impact explains this by accounting for the large amount of ejected material that formed the Moon. The option stating the Moon is "massive compared to Earth's size" is imprecise, as the Moon's mass is only ~1.2% of Earth's, so this is not valid evidence.

Answer:

A. Earth and Moon rocks are almost chemically identical
C. The Moon is about one-quarter of Earth's diameter