Which of the terrestrial planets has the highest surface gravity? (Hint: if you look at ratios, you need not calculate every surface gravity value explicitly.)

You will need a table of mass M and radius R for each planet. Then compute and compare the M/R^2 values. The planet with the highest value has the highest surface g.

You could also compare M/D^2 values, if all you can find is diameters. You will find the answer at

http://www.astro-tom.com/getting_started/planet_classification.htm

To determine which of the terrestrial planets has the highest surface gravity, we can look at the surface gravity ratios compared to the Earth's surface gravity. The surface gravity of a planet can be calculated using the formula:

g = (M × G) / R^2

where:
g is the surface gravity,
M is the mass of the planet,
G is the gravitational constant, and
R is the radius of the planet.

By comparing the ratios of surface gravity to Earth's surface gravity, we can identify the highest surface gravity without explicitly calculating every value.

Let's consider the four terrestrial planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. First, we need to find the mass and radius values for each planet. Then calculate the surface gravity ratio for each planet by dividing its surface gravity by Earth's surface gravity.

Here are the approximate values for these parameters:

Mercury:
Mass (M) = 0.055 Earth masses
Radius (R) = 0.38 Earth radii

Venus:
Mass (M) = 0.815 Earth masses
Radius (R) = 0.95 Earth radii

Earth:
Mass (M) = 1 Earth mass
Radius (R) = 1 Earth radius

Mars:
Mass (M) = 0.107 Earth masses
Radius (R) = 0.53 Earth radii

Now we can calculate the surface gravity ratios:

Mercury:
g ratio = (M × G) / R^2 Earth / Earth = (0.055 × G) / (0.38^2)

Venus:
g ratio = (M × G) / R^2 Earth / Earth = (0.815 × G) / (0.95^2)

Earth:
g ratio = (M × G) / R^2 Earth / Earth = (1 × G) / (1^2) = G / 1 = G

Mars:
g ratio = (M × G) / R^2 Earth / Earth = (0.107 × G) / (0.53^2)

By comparing the surface gravity ratios, we can determine which planet has the highest surface gravity. The planet with the highest ratio will have the highest surface gravity.