Question 2 - 1 mark Questions - Chapter 1 Class 6 Geography - The Earth and the Solar System - Geography

Name the smallest planet in the solar system.

Answer

Answer by Student

The smallest planet in the solar system is Mercury .

Detailed Explanation by Teachoo

Let’s compare the sizes of the planets in the solar system. The size of a planet can be measured by its diameter, which is the distance across its widest part. The diameter of a planet can be expressed in kilometers (km) or in Earth units, where 1 Earth unit is equal to the diameter of Earth (12,756 km).

• Mercury - Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system. Its diameter is about 4,879 km, or 0.38 Earth units. It is also the closest planet to the Sun and has no atmosphere.
• Venus - Venus is slightly smaller than Earth. Its diameter is about 12,104 km, or 0.95 Earth units. It is the second closest planet to the Sun and has a very thick atmosphere that makes it very hot.
• Earth - Earth is the fifth largest planet in the solar system. Its diameter is about 12,756 km, or 1 Earth unit. It is the third closest planet to the Sun and has a thin atmosphere that supports life.
• Mars - Mars is about half the size of Earth. Its diameter is about 6,779 km, or 0.53 Earth units. It is the fourth closest planet to the Sun and has a thin atmosphere that makes it very cold.
• Jupiter - Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Its diameter is about 142,984 km, or 11.21 Earth units. It is the fifth closest planet to the Sun and has a thick atmosphere that makes it a gas giant.
• Saturn - Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system. Its diameter is about 120,536 km, or 9.45 Earth units. It is the sixth closest planet to the Sun and has a ring system that makes it look even bigger.
• Uranus - Uranus is the third largest planet in the solar system. Its diameter is about 51,118 km, or 4.01 Earth units. It is the seventh closest planet to the Sun and rotates on its side and has a faint ring system.
• Neptune - Neptune is the fourth largest planet in the solar system. Its diameter is about 49,528 km, or 3.88 Earth units. It is the eighth closest planet to the Sun and has a dark spot that is a storm similar to Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.

Thus, we can see that Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system by far.