❓ why
Why is Earth's inner core solid if it is so hot?
geologyearth science
Quick Answer
The immense pressure at Earth's centre raises iron's melting point so high that the core stays solid despite being about 5,200 °C.
The Full Story
Earth's inner core is a ball of iron and nickel about 1,220 km in radius, with a temperature of roughly 5,200 °C — close to the surface of the Sun. Normally iron would be liquid at that heat, but pressure there is about 3.6 million times atmospheric pressure. That squeezes the atoms together and pushes the melting point higher than the actual temperature. The outer core, under less pressure, is liquid, and its churning metal generates Earth's magnetic field.
Key Facts
1.Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann discovered the solid inner core in 1936.
2.The inner core slowly grows as the liquid outer core cools and freezes onto it.
3.The inner core is roughly 70% of the Moon's size.
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"Earth's Core Is as Hot as the Sun — So Why Is It Solid?"