I would assume heavier molten metals would be in the center of the earth. Is it possible that the center has different molten metals on top of each other with a high concentration of iron on the outside of the core?
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A big factor here is the actual physical size of the atom. More compact atoms will tend to sink while larger ones will tend to “float” on top, just because it’s easier for a small atom to slip under a big atom than vice versa.
The phenomenon known as desert pavement is thought to be a reflection of this–if you go out to a hardscrabble kind of desert (as opposed to a sandy one) and dig, you’re likely to find the top layer consists of a lot of bigger rocks while deeper down you’re finding mostly smaller ones. For a more everyday example, if you open a new bag of chips/crisps that has been sitting with a consistent “up” direction, the top will have a lot of unbroken chips while the tiny fragments will have settled to the bottom.
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