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Chapter 20: Problem 4

Jupiter's atmosphere consists mainly of hydrogen (90 percent) and helium (9 percent). How does this mixture of gases contrast with the composition of Earth's atmosphere? Why does the composition differ?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Jupiter's atmosphere consists mainly of hydrogen and helium. On the other hand, Earth's atmosphere consists primarily of nitrogen and oxygen with traces of other gases. The difference arises due to their distance from the sun, their gravitational pull, and the temperature of their atmospheres.

Step by step solution

01

Clarify Composition of Jupiter's Atmosphere

Jupiter's atmosphere is made up mostly of hydrogen (90 percent) and helium (9 percent). This atmosphere reflects the initial composition of the gas cloud from which the solar system was formed.
02

Compare With Earth's Atmosphere

On the contrary, Earth's atmosphere consists primarily of nitrogen (78 percent) and oxygen (21 percent), with a small amount of other gases like argon and carbon dioxide. The difference between Earth's and Jupiter's atmosphere is significant. Earth has no hydrogen or helium in its atmosphere.
03

Give Reasons for The Difference in Composition

The dominant gases in a planet's atmosphere are determined by many factors, including the gravitation of the planet, the temperature of the planet's atmosphere and its distance from the sun. Earth’s strong gravity holds in heavier gases such as nitrogen and oxygen, and its magnetic field helps protect its atmosphere from solar winds. On the contrary, Jupiter, being farther from the sun than the earth, is much colder, making it conducive for lighter gases such as hydrogen and helium to remain in its atmosphere. Second, Jupiter's strong gravitational field can hold lighter gases such as hydrogen and helium, which have typically escaped from Earth's weaker gravitational field.

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