Why are the planets in our solar the size that they are?

Question

E.g why is Pluto smaller than Mars? I think it has something to do with the temperature but I'm not sure. A logical explanation would be nice ;)

Answer 1

http://www.sciencewiz.com

this will really help you a lot

Answer 2

www.nineplanets.org

this will really help you

Answer 3

  It is simply the luck of the draw.

  The planets coalesced from rocky material that crashed into a hydrogen field as the result of a super nova and a lot of things came together the determine their size.

Answer 4

mercury

Venus

earth

mars

jupiter

Stern

Uranus

Neptune

Answer 5

well its believe Pluto is a moon of some other solar system that got knocked of orbit or something like that (fun fact Pluto moon is bigger then Pluto) but Jupiter and Saturn and the other REALLY big ones are made of gas so really ether Venus mercury and Pluto are relatively the same size i guess like people we're all different sizes

Answer 6

The planets started as an accretion disc - a disc of stuff around the sun. They formed into planetesimals and planetary embryos and then planets by smashing into each other. the gravity pulls them in and they form spheres.

Now, Mercury, venus, earth and Mars are within a temperature limit so that silicate - rock - can exist. past there - Jupiter, Saturn,Uranus and Neptune is where gas existed and hence the gas planets formed.

So, close to Sun is warm and rocky. Jupiter onwards are cold and icy planets.

Pluto originates from the Kuiper belt. This is another asteroid belt. But it is so far from the Sun that their orbits stop collisions occuring - hence unable to grow so big. Also, very very very cold. Brrr!!

The bigger an object 'grows', the more gravitational attraction it exerts. hence, able to pull more stuff onto it. This is one reason why the inner asteroid belt - between Mars and Jupiter - has not formed into a planet. So they are small irregular shapes kept there by Jupiter and the Sun - perhaps mars too.

hope this helps. It is basic, if you need more advanced stuff let me know.