Assertion (A): Inside the Earth, especially in the outer core, metals are present in a molten state.
Reason (R): The Earth absorbs the Sun’s rays.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
In an Assertion-Reason question, each statement is checked for truth first, and then R is tested as the cause of what A describes.
Assertion — correct. The outer core is made mainly of iron and nickel in liquid form.
Reason — correct. The Earth’s surface absorbs sunlight and is warmed by it.
Sunlight warms only the surface layers. The core is molten because of the Earth’s own internal heat (heat left from its formation and heat from radioactive decay) and the very high temperature deep inside, so R does not explain A.