Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Gas molecules move with a typical speed , with . On Mercury's sunlit side, reaches about . Find for hydrogen () and oxygen (), and compare with Mercury's escape speed, .
Escape speed: , so , for the Earth. Launched at , a body keeps far away; at straight up, it rises to .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Hydrogen. , so .
Step 2. Oxygen. .
Step 3. Compare. Hydrogen's typical speed is about of the escape speed. Oxygen's is about a sixth of it, still enough: the fastest molecules in the spread leak away over millions of years.
Answer: and ; both gases escape over time, so Mercury keeps almost no air.
Check. The Moon, with an escape speed under half of Mercury's, has lost its air even faster.
Watch out. Molecules have a spread of speeds; it is the fast tail that escapes.
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