Final answer:
The probe at Mercury's equator would experience greater centripetal acceleration because it participates in Mercury's rotational motion, unlike a probe at the north pole, which does not.
Step-by-step explanation:
The probe at Mercury's equator would have a larger centripetal acceleration than a probe at Mercury's north pole. This is because centripetal acceleration depends on the velocity of an object moving in a circular path and its radius from the center of the circle. Since a probe on Mercury's equator would be part of the planet's rotation and thus moving at a certain velocity due to the planet's spin, it would have to experience some acceleration towards the center to maintain this circular path. In contrast, a probe stationed at Mercury's north pole would not be engaging in this rotational motion and therefore would not have the same type of equatorial velocity contributing to centripetal acceleration.