An astronomer tells you that he has discovered a new planet that he calls Planet X. All he knows about Planet X so far is that it has a very dense atmosphere with a temperature approximately 5 times warmer than that of Earth. What hypothesis can you reasonably make regarding the atmosphere of Planet X?
A) The atmosphere of Planet X must not contain any oxygen, so people couldn't live there.
B) The nitrogen cycle does not operate on Planet X in the same way it does on Earth.
C) Planet X cannot contain water in any form.
D) The atmosphere of Planet X has a higher concentration of greenhouse gases than Earth's does.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A temperature 5 times warmer than Earth's suggests that Planet X has a strong greenhouse effect. This means that the atmosphere traps heat, likely due to the presence of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide or methane. Therefore, choice D is the most reasonable hypothesis. It is not possible to definitively rule out choices A, B or C based on the information given, as the astronomer has not provided any details about the composition of the atmosphere beyond its density and temperature.

An Astronomer Tells You That He Has Discovered a New