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Experiment

Michelson-Morley Experiment

Physical Sciences

The Michelson-Morley experiment tried to detect the Earth's motion through a hypothesized medium called the luminiferous ether by comparing the speed of light in different directions. Its null result helped clear the way for Einstein's theory of special relativity.

Facts
Year
1887 1
MethodSourced to the subject's own account
A Michelson interferometer split light into two perpendicular beams traveling along 11-metre arms, reflected them back to recombine, and looked for a shift in the resulting interference fringes as the whole apparatus (floated on mercury for smooth rotation) was turned. 2
Key FindingSourced to the subject's own account
The measured fringe shift, less than 0.02 fringes, was far below the roughly 0.4 fringes expected if the Earth moved through a stationary luminiferous aether, providing early strong evidence against the aether hypothesis. 2
LocationSourced to the subject's own account
Cleveland, Ohio (Case Western Reserve University, formerly Case School of Applied Science) 2
Connections

Conducted By

Albert A. Michelson, Scientists
Source Michelson-Morley Experiment (Britannica)
Edward Morley, Scientists
Source Michelson-Morley Experiment (Britannica)

Operated By

Case Western Reserve University, Institutions
Source Michelson-Morley Experiment (Wikipedia)

Tests

Luminiferous Aether, Theories
Source Luminiferous Aether (Wikipedia)

Uses

Michelson Interferometer, Instruments
Source Michelson Interferometer (Britannica)
Sources
1. Michelson-Morley Experiment (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaView the Source
2. Michelson-Morley Experiment (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Description of the experiment section
    The beams traveled out to the ends of long arms where they were reflected back into the middle by small mirrors.
  • Significance section
    This result is generally considered to be the first strong evidence against some aether theories, as well as initiating a line of research that eventually led to special relativity.
  • Operated By: Case Western Reserve University, Lead
    Morley at what is now Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and published in November of the same year.
  • In Group: Physics Experiments, Lead
    was an attempt to measure the motion of the Earth relative to the luminiferous aether, a supposed medium permeating space that was thought to be the carrier of light waves
View the Source
Michelson Interferometer (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaUses: Michelson InterferometerView the Source

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