Simulating the Precession of Mercury

The orbit of Mercury precesses at a total rate of 575 arc seconds per century. The gravitational forces from the other 7 planets produce a rate of 535$^{\mathrm{\mbox{'}\mbox{'}}}$, leaving a 43 arc seconds unaccounted. Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity can account for the missing discrepancy of Newton's law of gravity. It is not generally known that Oppenheim in 1895 showed a modified Newton's law would produce the missing amount, a full 20 years before Einstein. In 1908, Walter Ritz used this modification in his theory of electromagnetism. We will use his theory to simulate the precession of Mercury and demonstrate that his theory gives the correct amount.