Question

which the collisions occur affect the colors of the lights. at lower altitudes, the electrons from the sun collide with atoms of nitrogen, producing purple, violet, and blue; at higher altitudes, they collide with atoms of oxygen, producing green, the most common color, and red, a much rarer color. the lights can extend from about 50 miles to as high as 600 miles above earth’s surface. what is the central idea (key idea) of this paragraph? aurora lights result from certain gas particles colliding at particular altitudes. the color of the aurora lights varies based on the altitude at which the gas particles collide. gas particles collide at the right altitudes to produce aurora lights at specific times of year. aurora lights have different colors depending on the distance that electrons travel before colliding.

Explanation:

The paragraph focuses on how the altitude of collisions between solar electrons and atmospheric atoms determines the color of aurora lights, and also notes their altitude range. The correct option captures the core link between collision altitude and aurora color, which is the main focus of the text. Other options either omit the color-altitude connection, include unmentioned details (specific times of year), or misstate the factor (electron travel distance instead of collision altitude).

Answer:

The color of the aurora lights varies based on the altitude at which the gas particles collide.