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Chapter 4: Problem 29

Why was the discovery of Neptune an important confirmation of Newton's law of universal gravitation?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The discovery of Neptune was an important confirmation of Newton's law of universal gravitation because it was predicted based on the perturbations in Uranus's orbit, which could only be explained by the existence of a then unseen eighth planet. The fact that Neptune was discovered near the predicted location demonstrated that Newton's law accurately described gravitational interactions, not just locally but across vast distances in the solar system.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation

According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, every object in the universe attracts another object with a force that is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
02

The Irregularities in Uranus's Orbit

When astronomers observed the planet Uranus, they noticed that its orbit did not exactly match the predictions made using Newton's law of universal gravitation. The path of Uranus indicated that another distant, unknown planet's gravitational influence was affecting its orbit.
03

The Prediction and Discovery of Neptune

Based on these irregularities, astronomers John Couch Adams and Urbain Le Verrier independently predicted the position of the unknown planet using Newton's law. The prediction led to the discovery of Neptune. The location of Neptune closely matched Adams and Le Verrier's calculations.
04

Confirmation of Newton's Law of Gravitation

The discovery of Neptune in the exact predicted position provided strong evidence for the correctness of Newton's law of universal gravitation. It showed that the law applied not only to objects on Earth and in the nearby solar system but throughout the universe.

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