Here's how it worked:
* Initial Cloud: The solar nebula started as a vast, diffuse cloud of gas and dust.
* Gravity's Pull: Within this cloud, tiny particles of matter had a slight gravitational attraction to each other.
* Accretion: Over time, as the cloud contracted, gravity pulled more and more particles together. This process, known as accretion, caused the cloud to become denser and denser.
* Rotation and Spin: As the cloud contracted, it also started to rotate faster. This is due to the conservation of angular momentum. Think of a figure skater pulling their arms in – they spin faster.
* Central Concentration: The central region of the cloud, where the majority of the mass was concentrated, experienced the strongest gravitational pull. This caused the center to collapse further, creating a protostar.
The gravitational pull of the protostar continued to draw in more material from the surrounding nebula, eventually leading to the formation of the Sun and the rest of the solar system.
