Which piece of evidence offers the best justification for why Bode's law is considered a mathematical curiosity, and not accepted as a law? (1 point)

Question

• Neptune and Pluto were discovered at distances outside the established pattern.
• The law describes a pattern, but does not explain why the pattern occurs.
• Ceres is an asteroid, not a planet.
• The law offers guidelines to predict the location of planets.

Answer 1

The best justification for why Bode's law is considered a mathematical curiosity and not accepted as a law is:

• The law describes a pattern, but does not explain why the pattern occurs.

This highlights the fundamental issue with Bode's law: while it can identify a sequence, it lacks a theoretical foundation or underlying principle to justify the pattern it suggests, making it less reliable as a law of planetary motion.