Question

The composition of lo, one of Jupiter's moons, has been studied most effectively using which of the following?

I. exploration through unmanned space probes
II. careful study of ancient Greek mythology involving features of the night sky
III. geologic analysis of rock material obtained from the depths of Earth's oceans
IV. manned space exploration missions to lo
A.I, II, and III only
B.I, II, III, and IV
C. I only
D III and IV only

Answer 1

The composition of Jupiter's moon Io has been studied primarily through unmanned space probes, specifically by missions such as the Galileo spacecraft, making Option C the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The composition of Io, one of Jupiter's moons, has been most effectively studied through exploration through unmanned space probes. This includes missions such as those by the Galileo spacecraft, which from 1996 to 1999 traversed the jovian system and provided repeated close encounters with the Galilean moons, including Io. During these missions, detailed images and scientific data about Io's intensely volcanic surface, far surpassing that of Earth in activity, were collected. Neither the study of ancient Greek mythology nor the geologic analysis of rock materials from Earth's oceans have contributed to our understanding of Io's composition. Moreover, there have been no manned missions to Io. Hence, the correct answer is exploration through unmanned space probes only, which corresponds to Option C.