Question

Uranus’s orbit did not appear to behave according to Newton’s and Kepler's laws of motion and gravity. The most likely culprit for Uranus’s misbehaving orbit was the gravitational influence of another planet. Using Newton’s and Kepler's laws, astronomers were able to calculate exactly where they would expect this still-undiscovered planet to be. When telescopes were pointed at this position, Neptune was seen. What does this imply?

Answer 1

Answer: this implies that the gravitational pull on a body of small mass A (say uranus) , and a body of very large mass B (say the sun) over a very long distance as that between uranus and the sun, can be influenced and canceled out to some point by a body of small mass C (say neptune) closer to mass A.

Explanation: according to newton's law, gravitational puller is largely influenced by the product of the masses of the attracting bodies. Both Newton and Kepler explained the role played by the distance between these bodies on the magnitude of their attracting force, and the time it takes for a complete revolution.

The magnitude of their attraction decreases with an inverse square rule. Over a very long distance as that between the sun and uranus, Neptune's attraction on uranus is seen to effect some changes on how uranus is expected to behave if largely under the influence of the gravitational pull of the sun.