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Q27 (IAS/2002) Science & Technology › Basic Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) › Astronomy and astrophysics Answer Verified

Which one of the following statements is correct with reference to our solar system?

Result
Your answer:  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

Option 1 is correct. Earth has the highest mean density among the planets (≈5.5 g/cm3) and is substantially denser than the Sun, whose average density is ≈1.408 g/cm3 — roughly one-quarter that of Earth [1]. Option 2 is incorrect: the terrestrial planets (including Earth) are dominated by silicate minerals and metals (magnesium, iron), not elemental silicon as the single predominant constituent. Option 3 is false because the Sun contains about 99.8–99.86% of the Solar System’s mass, not 75% [2]. Option 4 is also incorrect: the Sun’s diameter is about 109 times that of Earth, not 190 times [2].

Sources

  1. [1] https://phys.org/news/2015-09-sun.html
  2. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > 2.3. The Sun > p. 23
  3. [2] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/THE_SOLARE_SYSTEM_AND_ITS_DWARF_PLANETS.pdf
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