Core

The core is the innermost layer of the Earth, located beneath the mantle. It is primarily composed of iron and nickel, and is divided into two parts: the inner core and the outer core.

Inner Core

The inner core is a solid sphere with a radius of about 1,220 kilometers. It is believed to be composed mainly of iron and nickel, with some other elements. The pressure at the center of the inner core is estimated to be about 3.3 million times the atmospheric pressure at sea level.

Outer Core

The outer core is a liquid layer that surrounds the inner core. It is about 2,260 kilometers thick and is composed of a combination of molten iron and nickel. The flow of the molten metals in the outer core is responsible for generating Earth's magnetic field through the geodynamo process.

Study Guide

What is the composition of the Earth's core?
Describe the structure of the inner core.
Explain the significance of the outer core in relation to Earth's magnetic field.
What is the estimated pressure at the center of the inner core?
How does the geodynamo process contribute to the generation of Earth's magnetic field?

◂Science Worksheets and Study Guides Eighth Grade. Rocks

Vocabulary/Answer key

Rocks

Vocabulary/Answer key

Rocks

Vocabulary/Answer key

Rocks

The resources above cover the following skills:

Earth/Space Science: Students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the chemical and physical interactions (i.e., natural forces and cycles, transfer of energy) of the environment, Earth, and the universe that occur over time.

Earth History: Explain how sedimentary rock is formed periodically, embedding plant and animal remains and leaving a record of the sequence in which the plants and animals appeared and disappeared.

Explain how sedimentary rock buried deep enough may be reformed by pressure and heat and these reformed rock layers may be forced up again to become land surface and even mountains.