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Use the data to answer the question below:

Planet | Volume (km³) | Primary Composition
--- | --- | ---
Mercury | 6.08 × 10¹⁰ | Rock
Venus | 9.28 × 10¹¹ | Rock
Earth | 1.08 × 10¹² | Rock
Mars | 1.63 × 10¹¹ | Rock
Jupiter | 1.43 × 10¹⁵ | Gas
Saturn | 8.27 × 10¹⁴ | Gas
Uranus | 6.83 × 10¹³ | Ice
Neptune | 6.25 × 10¹³ | Ice

Is the following statement about our solar system true or false? Of the four smallest planets, two are made mainly of gas.

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The statement is false; Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the four smallest planets and are composed of rock. The gas giants are Jupiter and Saturn, which are much larger than the terrestrial planets.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement about our solar system claiming that of the four smallest planets, two are made mainly of gas is false. According to the provided data, the four smallest planets by volume are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, all of which have a primary composition of rock. None of them are predominantly composed of gas. The gases in the solar system are primarily found in the larger, outer planets such as Jupiter and Saturn.

The terrestrial planets like Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are composed mostly of silicates and metals with a high-density indicating a predominantly rocky composition. In contrast, the large outer planets, Jupiter and Saturn, are often referred to as the gas giants because they are composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Meanwhile, Uranus and Neptune, which are also larger than the terrestrial planets, are referred to as ice giants due to their composition of water, methane, and ammonia, among other ices.

The statement that of the four smallest planets, two are made mainly of gas is false.

According to the data provided, the four smallest planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. All four of these planets are composed primarily of rock, not gas.

The data shows that Mercury has a volume of 6.08 × 10¹⁰ km³ and its primary composition is rock. Venus has a volume of 9.28 × 10¹¹ km³ and its primary composition is also rock. Earth has a volume of 1.08 × 10¹² km³ and its primary composition is rock. Mars has a volume of 1.63 × 10¹¹ km³ and its primary composition is rock.

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