Why is the solar system flat?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Angular momentum from rotation
Angular momentum from rotation ✓ — Correct! Solar system formed from rotating gas/dust cloud (solar nebula). Conservation of angular momentum: as cloud collapsed, rotation accelerated (like ice skater pulling arms in). Material couldn't collapse along rotation axis—formed flattened disk perpendicular to spin. Planets formed in this disk. Most planetary systems are flat for same reason. Ecliptic plane!
Magnetic fields align planets — Wrong. Magnetic fields exist but don't flatten systems. Disk forms from angular momentum conservation in rotating collapsing cloud.
Planets push each other flat — Wrong. Planets don't push each other flat. Disk formed before planets—they condensed from already-flattened protoplanetary disk.
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