GRE Reading Comprehension
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Source: XDF
Theorists are divided concerning the origin of the Moon. Some hypothesize that the Moon was formed in the same way as were the planets in the inner solar system (Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Earth)—from planet-forming materials in the presolar nebula. But, unlike the cores of the inner planets, the Moon's core contains little or no iron, while the typical planet-forming materials were quite rich in iron. Other theorists propose that the Moon was ripped out of the Earth's rocky mantle by the Earth's collision with another large celestial body after much of the Earth's iron fell to its core. One problem with the collision hypothesis is the question of how a satellite formed in this way could have settled into the nearly circular orbit that the Moon has today. Fortunately, the collision hypothesis is testable. If it is true, the mantle rocks of the Moon and the Earth should be the same geochemically.
According to the passage, Mars and the Earth are similar in which of the following ways?
- A Their satellites were formed by collisions with other celestial bodies.
- B Their cores contain iron.
- C They were formed from the presolar nebula.