In terms of mean density in the Solar System, where does Mercury rank relative to Earth?
Answer
second highest, just slightly less than Earth’s
Mercury achieves its remarkable density due to the vast amount of iron packed into its interior. Its calculated mean density is approximately $5.427 ext{ g/cm}^3$. When ranked against all other planets in the Solar System, this places Mercury second highest in terms of density. It trails only Earth, whose mean density is slightly greater at $5.515 ext{ g/cm}^3$. This close ranking, despite Mercury being a much smaller world subject to significantly less gravitational compression, underscores the fundamental difference in the underlying material composition—Mercury’s material being inherently more metallic than Earth’s.
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