Question

Calculate the mass of the core of the Earth and of its mantle (without the core) and interpret the results by expressing their masses as a percent of the total mass of the Earth.

Answer 1

Radius of the whole core 3471 km

Radius of the Earth 6378 km

Density of iron 7.87 g/cm3

Density of peridotite 3.2 g/cm3

Note: The validity of this result can be questioned on the grounds that the density of iron in the core of the Earth is greater than 7.87 g/cm3 . A better way to phrase this problem would be to use the bulk density of the Earth (5.52 g/cm3) and the density of the mantle (3.2 g/cm3) to determine the mass of the core by difference. In that case: