Final answer:
A meteorite is interplanetary debris that survives its fiery passage through Earth's atmosphere and lands on the surface. These objects can carry important information about the solar system's formation and are classified based on their composition. Therefore, the correct answer is option 4) survives the trip to the surface
Step-by-step explanation:
A meteorite is a piece of interplanetary debris that survives the trip to the surface of Earth. Meteorites are a valuable source of information as they carry a remarkable record of the formation and the early history of the solar system.
These debris, mostly fragments from asteroids, differ in composition - some are metallic (irons), others are a mixture of metallic and stony material (stony-irons), and many are stony in nature, including the primitive types which are often 4.5 billion years old - as old as the solar system itself.
When larger chunks of cosmic dust or rocky material survive their fiery journey through Earth's atmosphere and land on our planet, they are called meteorites. While cosmic dust particles enter Earth's atmosphere daily, burning up and being visible as meteors (often referred to as shooting stars), it's much rarer for larger pieces, which are meteorites, to reach the Earth's surface.
Therefore, the correct answer is option 4) survives the trip to the surface