#25 - According to the Newtonian theory of gravity, the gravitational force

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Justify the Conclusion. The correct answer choice is (B).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[Claire.L]

Hello!

Could you please explain why B is correct and the others are incorrect? I don't understand this question. Thank you!

[Dana D]

Hey Claire,

We are told that according to the Newtonian theory of gravity, gravitational force = about mass and distance between bodies. Newtonian theory does not care about what the bodies are made of. To calculate orbits, Newtonian theory does not care about the structure and constitution of the Sun or other planets (this would be "what they're made of) to calculate orbit.

In justify questions such as this, you want to key in when the stimulus is talking about two different ideas in the premise and conclusion. Here, the premise talks about gravitational force in the premise, but then draws a conclusion about calculating orbit. In order to make that jump, we need an answer choice that will connect those ideas together.

Answer (B) talks about both planetary orbits and gravitational forces, so right away it looks like a strong contender. Then, considering the content of it, Answer (B) is saying that in order to calculate orbit according to Newtonian theory, all you have to care about is their gravitational forces, which we know based on the first sentence of the stimulus means just their mass and the distance between them. So, if we added the information in answer (B) into the stimulus, it would make sense for us to conclude that in order to calculate the orbit of plants, we don't care about what they are made of, we just care about their mass and the distance between them (their gravitational forces).

Hope that helps!