Mercury Is a Small Planet and Therefore Has Trouble Holding

question 9

Multiple Choice

Mercury is a small planet and therefore has trouble holding on to an atmosphere. How then do scientist account for the extremely thin atmosphere that was found around the planet in 1985?

• A) Mercury is so hot that gas is constantly evaporating from its molten lakes and oceans
• B) Mercury's moon is so close to it that it can pull out some material from the planet
• C) the Sun's "wind" of particles is chipping atoms off the surface of Mercury
• D) Mercury's active volcanoes give off a lot of material; while much escapes, a certain number of atoms "exhaled" by recent volcanoes are in orbit around Mercury at any given time
• E) no one can suggest any explanation for the atmosphere at the present time; it's a mystery

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Definitions:

Agency Relationship

A legal and fiduciary relationship where one party, the agent, acts on behalf of another, the principal, in business transactions.

Agent's Negligence

A failure by an agent to exercise the care, diligence, and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in similar circumstances.

Principal

Principal refers to the original sum of money loaned or invested, before interest, or the main party to a transaction or agreement.

Damages

A sum of money awarded in compensation for loss or injury caused by the wrongful act of another party.