: The earth’s inner core is 9,800° F, almost as hot as the sun. Why is the core solid? Shouldn’t the iron and nickel liquify?

Question

I also read that it may be somewhere between solid and liquid in a “superionic” state. But I don’t really understand what they mean. Is there an animated video of this hypothesis?

In: Planetary Science

Answer 1

It is very hot, but also under a lot of pressure, which alters how substances behave, there isn’t basically anywhere for the atoms to move around freely.