(a) where is the asteroid belt located? (b) explain why there are gaps in the orbital distances from the sun.

The asteroid belt is located between Mars and Jupiter. The gaps in orbital distances are due to the local gravitational effects of the planets and the solar wind from the sun. Evidence of this can be found by observing that gasses were blown further from the sun than heavy elements like that found on Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Each planet had drawn in via gravity the surrounding material leaving gaps between the planets.