Which of the following correctly arranges the planets by the size of their diameter in increasing order?

Question

Uranus < Neptune < Mercury < Earth
Earth < Mercury < Neptune < Uranus
Mercury < Earth < Saturn < Jupiter
Jupiter < Saturn < Earth < Mercury

Answer 1

To accurately arrange the planets by their diameter from smallest to largest, we first need to have the approximate diameters of each planet:

• Mercury: about 4,880 km
• Earth: about 12,742 km
• Neptune: about 49,244 km
• Uranus: about 50,724 km
• Saturn: about 116,460 km
• Jupiter: about 139,820 km

Now we can order them by their diameters:

1. Mercury (4,880 km)
2. Earth (12,742 km)
3. Neptune (49,244 km)
4. Uranus (50,724 km)
5. Saturn (116,460 km)
6. Jupiter (139,820 km)

Now, let's review the options given:

1. Uranus < Neptune < Mercury < Earth
2. Earth < Mercury < Neptune < Uranus
3. Mercury < Earth < Saturn < Jupiter
4. Jupiter < Saturn < Earth < Mercury

Among these options, the correct arrangement in increasing order of diameter is:

Mercury < Earth < Neptune < Uranus, which is not explicitly present in that form.

However, the closest correct order based on the options is:

Mercury < Earth < Saturn < Jupiter, which is option 3.

Option 3 is the only one that maintains the right order for the planets listed and correctly shows the increasing order from smallest to largest. The other options do not reflect the correct sizes based on the diameters provided.

So, to answer your question, the correct arrangement of the planets by size based on the options provided is:

Mercury < Earth < Saturn < Jupiter (Option 3).