Unit 6 Earth's Layers

6.5 (B) a limited number of elements comprise the largest portion of solid Earth and atmosphere

6.10 (A) build a model to illustrate the compositional and mechanical layers of Earth, including the inner core, outer core, mantle, crust, asthenosphere, and lithosphere

Think About It….

What are the main parts of a
boiled egg?

How do you think the layers of the
egg connect to the layers of the
Earth?

Think About It….

What are the main parts of a
boiled egg?
- Shell, Egg Whites, the Yolk

How do you think the layers of the
egg connect to the layers of the
Earth?

What is the Earth made of?

●Earth is composed of three compositional
layers: Crust, Mantle, Core

○Compositional Layers: structural layers of the
Earth defined by the materials from which
they are made

●Earth is composed of five compositional
layers: Lithosphere, Asthenosphere,
Mesosphere, Outer Core, and Inner Core

○Mechanical layers: structural layers of Earth
defined on the basis of how materials act

●Each layer of the Earth is made up of different elements

○The solid portion of Earth is made of mostly Oxygen (O) and Silicon (Si)

○The atmosphere is made mostly of Nitrogen (N) and Oxygen (O)

●Each layer of the Earth has a different density and temperature

Mesosphere
Crust

We will focus on four main
layers….

A - Inner Core

B - Outer Core

C - Mantle

D - Crust

How would we
label this cross
section of the
Earth below?

​A

B

C

D

Crust

●The outermost layer of the Earth

●Two types of crust: continental and
oceanic

●Thinnest Layer

●Solid Layer

●Life exists on this layer

●Composed of mainly oxygen (O),
silicon (Si), and aluminum (Al)

Mantle

●Between the outer core and the crust

●Thickest layer

●Semi-solid: having the qualities of
both a solid and a liquid;
exceptionally thick substance
○Like jello or oobleck

●About 500 to 4,000 degrees Celsius

●Composed of mainly magnesium (Mg)
and iron (Fe)

Outer Core

●Surrounds the inner core

●Liquid metal

●Composed of molten (liquid) iron
(Fe) and nickel (Ni)

●Temperature ranges from 4,000 to
5,000 degrees Celsius

Inner Core

●Inner most layer of the Earth

●Solid because of extreme pressure

●Composed mostly of iron (Fe)

●Hottest layer; about 6000 degrees
Celsius

The other layers…

●Lithosphere: the solid, rigid outer layer of
the Earth consisting of the crust and the
solid portion of the upper mantle

●Asthenosphere: the somewhat fluid
portion of the mantle upon which the
lithosphere is located

●Mesosphere: the region of the mantle
beneath the lithosphere and
asthenosphere, but above the outer core

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RKoLleyDJ4

Sources

The Science Duo

TEKS Resource System

https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Honolulu_Community_College/CHEM_100%3
A_Chemistry_and_Society/14%3A_Earth/14.01%3A_Spaceship_Earth-_Structure
_and_Composition