Putting a for the mean distance of the earth from the sun, and n for its mean motion in one second, we use the fundamental equation a3 n2 = Mo-1-M', Mo being the sun's mass, and M' the combined masses of the earth and moon, which are, however, too small to affect the result.
In their withdrawal, by a historic disregard of fair play, the Germans not merely refused to put at the disposal of the Lithuanian authorities the necessary means of defence, but under a military convention allowed the Bolshevist troops to march into evacuated zones at a mean distance of io kilometres.
Taking the mean distance of this group as that of a planet, the distance of the major planets closely approximates to Bode's law, except in the case of Neptune.
When the molecules are oscillating about their equilibrium positions, there is no reason why their mean distance apart should be the same as when they are at rest.
If so, it is clear that their mean distance apart, averaged through a sufficiently long interval of their motion, will be greater than a.
