Question

Asteroids are found between the orbits of:
A.Saturn and Jupiter
B.Mars and Jupiter
C.The Earth and Mars
D.None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Asteroids are rocky, irregularly shaped remnants both smaller and larger sizes that are leftovers from when the period of the formation of the solar system. They are also known as minor planets. The currently known asteroid count is 1,036,626. The size of asteroids ranges from the largest being 940 km in diameter to less than 10 meters. Four of the largest asteroids found were the Ceres, Vesta, Pallas and Hygiea. There are three categories of asteroids based on their spectra— carbonaceous (C-type), silicate (S-type) and metal-rich (M-type).

Complete step by step solution:
Option A: is incorrect. The bulk of asteroids forming an orbital belt is not found between Saturn and Jupiter.
Option B: is correct. The asteroid belt is a circumstellar ring of asteroids located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It contains the four largest asteroids which are discussed above. The total mass of the asteroid belt is nearly 4% that of the Earth’s moon. It was formed out of cosmic dust grains as a group of planetesimals during the evolution of the Solar system 4.5 billion years ago.
Option C: is incorrect. The asteroid belt is not located between the earth and Mars. The closest small solar system bodies to the Earth are called Near-Earth Objects which consists of asteroids and comets.
Option D: is incorrect.

Note: Do not confuse asteroids here with other small solar system bodies like the centaurs, Kuiper Belt objects, the sednoids, the scattered disc objects and the Oort Cloud objects.