Temperatures on the Surface of Mercury Are Seen to Fluctuate

question 595

Multiple Choice

Temperatures on the surface of Mercury are seen to fluctuate between very cold 100 K (-173°C) and extremely hot 700 K (427°C) .What does this measurement indicate about conditions on Mercury?

• A) Mercury has a very elliptical orbit, and varying distance from the Sun produces these large temperature fluctuations because intensity varies as the inverse square of the distance from the Sun.
• B) The planet has an atmosphere in which the greenhouse effect captures solar radiation to heat the sunlit hemisphere of the planet.
• C) The planet is close to the Sun, has no atmosphere to maintain heat from the Sun, and is rotating.
• D) Erupting volcanoes occasionally heat the planet's surface to extreme temperatures.

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Definitions:

Intra-entity Gross Profit

The profit recognized on transactions carried out between divisions or departments within the same company.

January 1 Retained Earnings

The amount of net income left over for a business at the start of a new calendar year after all dividends have been paid out to shareholders.

Equity Method

An accounting technique used to record investments in which the investor has significant influence over the investee but does not have full control.

Intra-entity Gross Profit

The profit recognized by entities within the same corporation on transactions among themselves, which may not be realized from an external perspective until the goods are sold to an outside party.