The Earth Doesn't Melt Even though the Earth's Core is Very Hot. Why?
The earth's core has a very hot temperature. However, why doesn't the earth melt and burn because of the heat from the earth's core?
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Planet Earth is in third place in the Milky Way solar system. The Earth consists of several layers, including the inner core of the Earth, the outer core of the Earth, the Earth's mantle, and the last layer, namely the layer where we live, the skin or crust of the Earth.
We already know that the Earth's core layer is the hottest part among the other layers below where we live. The surface heat of the sun, which is known to be incredibly hot, can still be surpassed by the temperature of the Earth's core. Of course, it's hard to believe, but that's the reality. So, why doesn't the Earth melt or burn from the heat of the deepest part of the Earth?
The distance between the Earth's core and the surface where we live is only about 3,000 km. Jon Butterworth, a physics professor at University College London, explains that the Earth's core is surrounded by a mostly dense, rocky mantle. However, the main reason the planet we live on does not melt due to the heat of the Earth's core is the difference between energy and the heat itself.
"Broadly speaking, heat is energy, while temperature is energy density. Basically, how much energy is crammed into a certain size," said Jon Butterworth, taken from Science Focus.
He gave the example that the sparks produced by fireworks, which can have a temperature of up to 1,500 degrees Celsius, do not make us feel very sick or hot when hit by the sparks. Meanwhile, if you shower using boiling water, even if it is only 100 degrees Celsius hot, of course, your body will feel hot, and your skin may even peel. This can happen because bathing has more heat energy.
So, we can conclude that to melt the entire Earth requires more energy than the heat that comes from the Earth's core itself. Such a large sun could do that easily. Luckily, there is a distance of 150,000,000 km between the sun and the Earth.
So, what if the Earth's core is not hot but cold? Quoted from Science ABC on Thursday (13/10/2022), it turns out that if the Earth's core becomes cold, too dense, or liquid, then there will be no way for life to survive and develop.
Image source: Image of Earth's Layers | SlidePlayer - Faith Store
