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The Layers of the Earth

The Earth is made of layers, like an onion: the crust, the mantle, the outer core and the inner core. The deeper you go, the hotter it gets, and at the centre is a ball of solid metal.

In the picture

  1. Crust: the thin layer of rock we live on.
  2. Mantle: the thickest layer, made of hot rock that moves very slowly.
  3. Outer core: liquid iron and nickel.
  4. Inner core: a solid ball of iron and nickel, the hottest part.

Examples

  • A peach cut in half: the thin skin, the thick fruit and the hard stone in the middle are like the crust, the mantle and the core.
  • Lava from a volcano is melted rock that rises from deep underground.

Quiz: The Layers of the Earth (Age 11)

  1. If you could dig from the surface all the way to the centre of the Earth, in what order would you pass through the layers?

    • Crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
    • Crust, outer core, mantle, inner core
    • Crust, mantle, inner core, outer core
  2. What is the outer core made of?

    • Solid iron and nickel
    • Liquid iron and nickel
    • Hot rock that moves very slowly
  3. Which part of the Earth is the hottest?

    • The outer core, because it is liquid
    • The mantle, because it is the thickest layer
    • The inner core, at the very centre

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.

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Geography, Age 11