Why did the rocky inner planets fail to retain the abundant hydrogen and helium present in the initial nebula?
Answer
They formed in a hotter region where only high-melting-point solids condensed, and they lacked the necessary gravitational pull to hold the light gases
The rocky inner planets formed in the hotter, inner region where only solids condensed, and subsequently, these smaller planets lacked the gravitational pull necessary to hold onto extremely light gases like hydrogen and helium, which escaped to space.
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