Mercury's core is mostly made up of:?

Answer 1

Iron

Answer 2

Most of what is known about the internal structure of Mercury comes from data acquired by the Mariner 10 spacecraft that flew past the planet in 1973 and 1974. Mercury is about a third of the size of Earth, yet its density is similar to that of Earth. What this basically tells us is that Mercury has a large core roughly 40% of tthe planets total volume.

The core is likely composed of 60 to 70% iron by mass. Mariner 10's measurements of the planet reveals a dipolar magnetic field possibly produced by a partially molten core. A solid rocky mantle surrounds the core with a thin crust of about 100 kilometers.

Answer 3

Mercury's high density can be used to infer details of its inner structure. While the Earth's high density results partly from compression at the core, Mercury is much smaller and its inner regions are not nearly so compressed. Therefore, for it to have such a high density, its core must be large and rich in iron.[1] Geologists estimate that Mercury's core occupies about 42% of its volume. (Earth's core occupies about 17% of its volume.)

Surrounding the core is a 600 km mantle. It is generally thought that early in Mercury's history, a giant impact with a body several hundred kilometers across stripped the planet of much of its original mantle material, resulting in the relatively thin mantle compared to the sizable core [2] (alternative theories are discussed below).

Mercury's crust is thought to be about 100–200 km thick. One very distinctive feature of Mercury's surface is numerous ridges, some extending over several hundred kilometers. It is believed that these were formed as Mercury's core and mantle cooled and contracted after the crust had solidified.[3]

Mercury has a higher iron content than any other major planet in our solar system. Several theories have been proposed to explain Mercury's high metallicity. The most widely accepted theory is that Mercury originally had a metal-silicate ratio similar to common chondrite meteors and a mass approximately 2.25 times its current mass; but that early in the solar system's history, Mercury was struck by a planetesimal of approximately 1/6 that mass. The impact would have stripped away much of the original crust and mantle, leaving the core behind.[2] A similar theory has been proposed to explain the formation of Earth's Moon (see giant impact theory).

Alternatively, Mercury may have formed from the solar nebula before the Sun's energy output had stabilized. The planet would initially have had twice its present mass. But as the protosun contracted, temperatures near Mercury could have been between 2500 and 3500 K, and possibly even as high as 10000 K. Much of Mercury's surface rock could have vaporized at such temperatures, forming an atmosphere of "rock vapor" which could have been carried away by the solar wind.[4]

A third theory suggests that the solar nebula caused drag on the particles from which Mercury was accreting, which meant that lighter particles were lost from the accreting material.[5] Each of these theories predicts a different surface composition, and two upcoming space missions, MESSENGER and BepiColombo, both aim to take observations that will allow the theories to be tested.

Answer 4

Stone. Unlike the earth, which has a metal core in a liquid/semi-liquid state, measurements of the mass of Mercury using it's motion and gravitational field coupled with its diameter indicate a density which is generally uniform from core to surface. The surface is stone, and ergo......

Answer 5

It is a rocky core made up of the same material that fashioned the earth and Venus.

Answer 6

Iron

Answer 7

Is it ironic that Mercury is ironic?

Answer 8

mercury