Final answer:
The order of the planets from hottest to coldest is Venus, Mercury, Earth, and Mars, making option A the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the four terrestrial planets of our inner solar system and have varying surface temperatures due to their atmospheres and proximity to the Sun. To rank them from the hottest to coldest, one must take into account both their distance from the Sun and the properties of their respective atmospheres. While Mercury is closest to the Sun, it is in fact Venus that is the hottest of the four planets due to a thick atmosphere causing a severe greenhouse effect. Earth and Mars follow, with Earth having a moderate climate and Mars being colder due to its thin atmosphere and greater distance from the Sun. Therefore, the correct ordering of these planets from hottest to coldest is option A) Venus, Mercury, Earth, Mars.