What was the main factor that contributed to the differences between the inner and the outer planets?

Answer 1

when the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, earth, and mars) where first created, their atmosphere contained light elements like helium. because the inner planets are so close to the sun, they had no atmosphere. it wasn't thick enough to hold on to these light elements. the reason why earth has an atmosphere is because volcanic eruptions put in carbon dioxide. the gas giants are what they are because they are far from the sun. they still contain their light element's.

Answer 2

The rocky inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, while the gaseous outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The factors that led to their great differences are: composition and density of the planets, presence of the asteroid belt, varied atmospheres, and their sizes.

Answer 3

Early in the history of the solar system the heat and solar wind from the sun drove off most of the hydrogen, helium, and other volatile from the inner solar system, leaving behind objects made mostly of rock and metal. The gas giants in the outer solar system were far enough from the sun to escape this fate.

Answer 4

We used to think it was distance from the Sun.

Since then we've discovered far too many "hot Jupiters" orbiting other stars to still put much credence in that theory.

It's looking more and more like the answer is "coincidence", though there may be a bit of the anthropic principle in action here: a star with a massive planet in a close orbit is probably unlikely to also have an Earthlike planet in a stable orbit in the habitable zone.

So, in other words, in OUR solar system the gas giants are far from the Sun, because if they were near the sun WE wouldn't be here.

Answer 5

The inner planets are smaller and do not have the dense atmospheres of the outer planets