To determine which planets are likely to be inner planets, let’s first understand what defines an inner planet. In our solar system, inner planets are generally those with orbital radii less than 1 Astronomical Unit (AU).
Given the orbital radii of the planets:
[tex]\[
\begin{array}{|c|c|}
\hline
\text{Planet} & \text{Orbital Radii (AU)} \\
\hline
\text{W} & 5.2 \\
\hline
\text{X} & 0.72 \\
\hline
\text{Y} & 0.37 \\
\hline
\text{Z} & 19.1 \\
\hline
\end{array}
\][/tex]
We need to identify which of these planets have an orbital radius of less than 1 AU to classify them as inner planets.
- Planet W has an orbital radius of 5.2 AU.
- Planet X has an orbital radius of 0.72 AU.
- Planet Y has an orbital radius of 0.37 AU.
- Planet Z has an orbital radius of 19.1 AU.
Now, let’s compare each planet’s orbital radius to the threshold of 1 AU:
- Planet W: [tex]\(5.2 > 1\)[/tex], so W is not an inner planet.
- Planet X: [tex]\(0.72 < 1\)[/tex], so X is an inner planet.
- Planet Y: [tex]\(0.37 < 1\)[/tex], so Y is an inner planet.
- Planet Z: [tex]\(19.1 > 1\)[/tex], so Z is not an inner planet.
From this analysis, it’s clear that planets X and Y both have orbital radii less than 1 AU, making them the inner planets.
Based on the choices provided:
- W and X
- X and Y
- Y and Z
- X and Z
The correct pair of inner planets is:
[tex]\( \boxed{X \text{ and } Y} \)[/tex]
