How would you describe the accuracy of Newton's law of gravity?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To assess Newton's law of gravity, I’ll go through each statement and weigh its accuracy against what modern physics says. 
Option 1: 'Is not really accurate, but scientists are too stubborn to give it up' This characterization is politically charged and not a precise scientific claim. In reality, Newton's law works extremely well as an approximation in many common contexts, though it has known limitations in strong gravitational fields or regimes where relativistic effects are significant. The issue is not stubbornness but applicability and domain of validity. 
Option 2: 'Was accurate in the past, but is no longer accurate today' This is incorrect. Newtonian gravity remains an excellent approximation in many practical situations (planetary orbits, laboratory experiments, engineering) and has not been replaced as a universal description; rather, general relativity provides a more complete theory where needed. 
Option 3: 'Gives accurate results in every situation' This is false. In extreme conditions—such as near very massive compact objects (black holes), at strong gravitational fields, or when high-velocity relativistic effects are involved—Newton's law deviates noticeably from actual physics. Thus, it is not universally accurate. 
Option 4: 'Gives accurate results in most situations' This statement aligns with how Newtonian gravity is used in practice: it reliably describes motion and forces for everyday phenomena, space missions within the solar system (to a good approximation), and many engineering problems, with relativistic corrections only needed in precise experiments or extreme regimes. The caveat is that ‘most’ acknowledges its limitations where general relativity or other theories become necessary. 
Putting these together, the evaluation shows that Option 4 correctly captures the standard scientific understanding: Newton’s law provides accurate results in the broad majority of ordinary, non-relativistic contexts, while not being universally accurate across all possible gravitational scenarios. The other options either misrepresent the scope, overstate universality, or rely on non-scientific framing.

ASTR-1-45046-F25 Lecture: Astronomy as a Science

How would you describe the accuracy of Newton's law of gravity?

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