An unmanned research probe is designed to measure the gravitational acceleration on the surface of Mercury and the surface of Venus. Although both are rocky planets in the inner Solar System, the gravitational field strength on Venus is more than double that on Mercury.
Suggest two physical characteristics of these planets that account for this difference in their surface gravitational field strengths.
28 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 7.1 The Solar System and gravity, covering 7.1.1 Weight and g on different bodies in space, 7.1.2 The Solar System, 7.1.3 Changing ideas about the Solar System, 7.1.4 Orbits of moons, planets, comets and satellites, and 7.1.5 Gravity and orbital motion. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.