The planets closest to the sun are the inner, or terrestrial, planets and are similar to earth in some ways. they are rocky and dense, have few moons, no rings, and are relatively small. these planets also differ in many ways, as shown in the chart. for example, venus is the hottest planet on the chart, even though mercury is closer to the sun. the temperature difference between venus and earth is significantly greater than the difference between venus and mercury, even though venus lies close to midway between those two planets. which statement elaborates on the cause of this wide range of temperatures between terrestrial planets? 45 !
a) the dense atmosphere of venus traps the sun's heat, known as the greenhouse effect, resulting in high temperatures.

b) the farther away from the sun, the thinner a planet's atmosphere. closer planets need more protection from the heat.

c) the temperature of mars is so low because its atmosphere is mostly made of carbon dioxide, which does not trap heat well.

d) venus is more than twice as large as mercury, so it absorbs more of the sun's heat, even though mercury is closer to the sun.