Detail Page
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written by
Michael Fowler and
Heather Welch
This page simulates the 1887 Michelson-Morley Experiment, one of the most famous null results in history. The purpose of the experiment was to prove the existence of "luminiferous aether" considered at the time to be the medium through which light propagated. Students can control the interferometer by changing the speed of light, altering the aether, and rotating the experimental chamber. The results of this experiment provided the first clear demonstration that the "aether drag theory" was seriously flawed.
Editor's Note: See Related Materials for a detailed tutorial on the Michelson-Morley experiment. In the 1880's, the "aether wind theory" was so widely accepted that scientists were shocked by the results of this experiment. A flurry of new experimentation was conducted to "save" the aether wind theory......all with null results. This topic could be an effective springboard to examine the difficulties arising when deeply-entrenched scientific ideas are proven erroneous.
AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)1. The Nature of Science
1A. The Scientific Worldview
1B. Scientific Inquiry
4. The Physical Setting
4F. Motion
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![]() <a href="https://www.compadre.org/precollege/items/detail.cfm?ID=7471">Fowler, Michael, and Heather Welch. Fowler's Physics Applets: Michelson-Morley Experiment. May 30, 2010.</a>
![]() M. Fowler and H. Welch, (2004), WWW Document, (http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/flashlets/mmexpt6.htm).
![]() M. Fowler and H. Welch, Fowler's Physics Applets: Michelson-Morley Experiment, (2004), <http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/flashlets/mmexpt6.htm>.
![]() Fowler, M., & Welch, H. (2010, May 30). Fowler's Physics Applets: Michelson-Morley Experiment. Retrieved March 1, 2021, from http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/flashlets/mmexpt6.htm
![]() Fowler, Michael, and Heather Welch. Fowler's Physics Applets: Michelson-Morley Experiment. May 30, 2010. http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/flashlets/mmexpt6.htm (accessed 1 March 2021).
![]() Fowler, Michael, and Heather Welch. Fowler's Physics Applets: Michelson-Morley Experiment. 2004. 30 May 2010. 1 Mar. 2021 <http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/109N/more_stuff/flashlets/mmexpt6.htm>.
![]() @misc{
Author = "Michael Fowler and Heather Welch",
Title = {Fowler's Physics Applets: Michelson-Morley Experiment},
Volume = {2021},
Number = {1 March 2021},
Month = {May 30, 2010},
Year = {2004}
}
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Covers the Same Topic As
Einstein Light: Michelson, Morley and the speed of light
A tutorial that discusses the Michelson-Morley experiment in detail, including its implications in paving the way for special relativity. relation by Caroline HallKnow of another related resource? Login to relate this resource to it. |
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