Question

The large Jovian satellites have sizes comparable to Mercury. Why do they have an icy composition

compared to Mercuryʹs rocky composition?

A) They experienced many more cometary impacts during the Late Heavy Bombardment.

B) They formed beyond the frost line, where ices were more abundant than metals and rock.

C) They formed from hydrogen compounds expelled by the Jovian planets.

D) They are captured comets.

Answer 1

The large Jovian satellites are icy because they formed beyond the solar system's frost line, where cooler temperatures allowed for ices to remain solid.

Step-by-step explanation:

The large Jovian satellites have icy compositions compared to Mercury's rocky composition largely because they formed beyond the frost line in the solar system. This region of the solar system was cooler and allowed for ices to remain solid and become a significant part of these moons' makeup. In contrast, Mercury formed closer to the Sun where temperatures were too high for ices to be stable, thus leading to a composition rich in metals and rock. The correct answer explaining why the large Jovian satellites have sizes comparable to Mercury but icy compositions is 'They formed beyond the frost line, where ices were more abundant than metals and rock'.