Why has Mercury become locked into a 3-to-2 spin orbit coupling instead of a 1-to-1 coupling like the Moon around Earth?
A) Mercury feels a stronger gravitational pull from the more massive Sun than the Moon does from Earth, so its rotation became locked on the Sun before it had slowed enough for a 1-to-1 lock.
B) Mercury's orbit is very eccentric, so its orbital speed varies while its rotation rate remains constant, preventing a 1-to-1 lock.
C) Mercury's rotation rate is still slowing down, and the apparent 3-to-2 lock is actually just coincidence.
D) Mercury's orbit is highly inclined (tipped up at an angle to the orbits of the other planets) , so the Sun sometimes pulls more on Mercury's north pole and sometimes more on its south pole.
Correct Answer:
Verified
Q48: What is the observed feature that suggests
Q49: Many planetary scientists believe Mercury suffered a
Q50: The internal structure of Mercury is a
A)
Q51: How does Mercury rotate, relative to the
Q52: Which physical feature of the planet Mercury
Q54: Suppose Mercury had oceans. What would be
Q55: When the solar wind (mostly protons and
Q56: What is the relationship between Mercury's rotation
Q57: The interior of Mercury contains
A) significant amounts
Q58: If one was watching the sunrise on
Unlock this Answer For Free Now!
View this answer and more for free by performing one of the following actions
Scan the QR code to install the App and get 2 free unlocks
Unlock quizzes for free by uploading documents