Question

The following table lists the masses, in grams, of the eight planets and the dwarf planet Pluto. Use the data to choose the correct answers in the item below.

Planet Mass (in grams)
Jupiter 1.989 · 10^30
Saturn 5.685 · 10^30
Neptune 1.024 · 10^29
Uranus 8.681 · 10^28
Earth 5.974 · 10^27
Venus 4.859 · 10^27
Mars 6.419 · 10^26
Mercury 3.302 · 10^26
Pluto 1.31 · 10^25
Uranus has a mass that is approximately__________times greater than Mercury's.

Answer 1

To find out how many times greater Uranus's mass is compared to Mercury's mass, we can use the following formula:

\[
\text{Ratio} = \frac{\text{Mass of Uranus}}{\text{Mass of Mercury}}
\]

From the provided data:

- Mass of Uranus: \(8.681 \times 10^{28}\) grams
- Mass of Mercury: \(3.302 \times 10^{26}\) grams

Now, we perform the calculation:

\[
\text{Ratio} = \frac{8.681 \times 10^{28}}{3.302 \times 10^{26}}
\]

Calculating the coefficients first:

\[
\frac{8.681}{3.302} \approx 2.63
\]

Now, for the powers of ten:

\[
10^{28} / 10^{26} = 10^{(28 - 26)} = 10^{2}
\]

Combining both results:

\[
\text{Ratio} \approx 2.63 \times 10^{2} = 263
\]

Thus, Uranus has a mass that is approximately **263 times** greater than Mercury's.