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Heating Rate Comparison

The heating rate of a planet's interior due to radioactive decay is proportional to its volume, which is determined by its radius cubed. Since Mars has a diameter that is approximately half that of Earth, its radius is also approximately half that of Earth's. Therefore, the volume of Mars is approximately $ \left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^3 = \frac{1}{8} $ times that of Earth.

Since the heating rate is proportional to volume, the heating rate of Mars is $ \frac{1}{8} $ times that of Earth.

Therefore, the correct answer is:

a. The heating rate of Mars is 0.125 times that of Earth.

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