Which of the following groups of planets is termed as 'gas planets' as they are composed primarily of lighter ices, liquids and gases?

The solar system's planets are divided into terrestrial and giant planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are classified as terrestrial planets because they are relatively small, rocky, and have metal cores [4]. In contrast, the four outer planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—are known as the giant or Jovian planets [1]. These planets lack a solid surface and are composed primarily of lighter substances such as hydrogen, helium, and various ices [5]. While Jupiter and Saturn are specifically termed 'gas giants' due to their high hydrogen and helium content, Uranus and Neptune are often distinguished as 'ice giants' because they contain a higher proportion of heavier ices like water, ammonia, and methane [4]. However, collectively, all four are traditionally grouped as the gas or Jovian planets in contrast to the inner rocky planets [5].

Sources

1. [2] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 13: Our Home: Earth, a Unique Life Sustaining Planet > 13.2 What Do the Planets of Our Solar System Look Like? > p. 213
2. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > The Formation of the Planets > p. 18
3. [4] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > Neptune > p. 32
4. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 2: The Solar System > Outer Planets > p. 31
5. [5] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 2: The Earth's Crust > The Solar System > p. 3