Why do low-mass worlds struggle to maintain habitability regarding atmospheric retention?
Answer
Their gravity is insufficient to retain an atmosphere against solar winds and collisions.
Low-mass worlds have gravity too weak to hold onto an atmosphere effectively. Gas molecules can escape when agitated by solar winds or impacts, leading to poor insulation and insufficient atmospheric pressure.

#Videos
Planet Earth - What Makes It Habitable? - YouTube
Related Questions
What are the three primary interacting domains necessary for life to continue across geological timescales?What primary condition defines the Habitable Zone (HZ) according to traditional thinking?How do simulations suggest 'land planets' compare to water-rich planets regarding cooling resistance?What characteristic must a host star possess to provide sufficient time for life to evolve?What severe challenge does a tidally locked world orbiting a dimmer star present for heat distribution?Why do low-mass worlds struggle to maintain habitability regarding atmospheric retention?What process is responsible for generating a planet's protective magnetic field?What vital function does plate tectonics serve in regulating Earth's climate over vast timescales?What singular, dramatic early event is theorized to have kickstarted Earth's dual systems of magnetic shielding and geological cycling?What key distinction in requirements separates habitability for complex life versus microbial life?Which element is assumed to be the backbone for complex life structures like proteins and carbohydrates?What does the 'Cosmological Factor' suggest about the prerequisites for life existing anywhere?