Why is that inside earths core the temperatures are high?

Question

Why is that inside earths core the temperatures are high?

Answer 1

Exact the same reason why cake is hotter in the middle.

Answer 2

http://www.physorg.com/news62952904.html

http://www.science.edu.sg/ssc/detailed.j...

http://nov55.com/heat.html

i hope these helps

Answer 3

Heat is still being generated inside the earth, primarily from radioactive decay.  The heat takes time to spread outward to the surface and off into space.  (and thus the comment about the cake someone gave, although someone else apparently didn't like it, it is a good analogy).  Very hot inside, very cold outside, and a temperature gradient between the two.

Answer 4

The weight of the earth creates a lot of pressure on itself.  When pressure rises, temperature rises.

Answer 5

The crust of the earth is known to contain isotopes of elements that decay radioactively with extremely long half lives (the time required to lose half of an original sample).  Each tiny decay event releases energy and heat with no place to go.  That maintains the interior of the earth very hot and some heat must be lost traveling up through the crust.  As mining operations dig deeper and deeper the tunnels become warmer.  Also, excess interior heat is lost at volcanoes and at the mid-oceanic rifts.

Answer 6

There are four reasons:

- The earth was composed of relatively hot material to start with

-- As the earth condensed from a mixture of rocky and metallic material, it compressed under gravity, producing a great deal of heat as it compressed, and the heavier metallic material gravitated towards the centre.  This was the main cause of the high temperatures at the core.

- Heat is also produced from natural decay of radiactive elements (mainly uranium and thorium)

- The outer layers (the mantle and crust) form a very effective insulating layer, allowing heat to escape only very slowly.  However, the overall heat loss is very slightly greater than the additional heat produced by radioactive decay (especially as the radioactive elements are gradually being converted to non-radiactive elements).  As a result, the earth is gradually cooling; but less than a degree every million years.  Before the core cools and solidifies, the earth will be vaporised as the sun expands into a red giant in about another 4 billion years.