coreview2 Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Why does Mars not have much of an atmosphere? Is it because it is 1/3 the size of Earth and with 1/3 the gravity it can keep only heavier gases? I noted that Earth's gravity is not strong enough to keep free hydrogen and helium from floating off into space, but how many gases would Mars lose with so much less gravity? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klaynos Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Work out the escape velocity of say nitrogen and then work out the thermal energy of a nitrogen atom on the surface of mars if thernal > escape it can't be held by gravity.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now