Why do some stars have planets?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: Leftover disk material coalesces
Only certain stars make planets — Wrong. Metal-rich stars more likely to have planets, but most stars can form planets from their protoplanetary disks.
Leftover disk material coalesces ✓ — Correct! Stars form from collapsing gas clouds. Not all material falls into star—remaining gas/dust forms protoplanetary disk orbiting young star. Material in disk collides, sticks together (accretion), forming planetesimals, then protoplanets, then planets. Process takes millions of years. Most stars probably have planets—thousands of exoplanets discovered!
Stars split into smaller bodies — Wrong. Stars don't split into planets. Planets form from leftover disk material around young stars through accretion.
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