Did Michelson Morley's experiment disprove the existence of aether?? (1 Viewer)

[AE86]

Question as above.

I got confused when i recalled my teacher saying that the experiment alone wasn't enough to disprove the theory of aether.



If it didn't disprove aether then what was its sole purpose?

 

[Xayma]

It was attempting to prove the existance. It produced a null result.

 

[1800-gumby]

it was attempting to find the earths volicity relative to aether. It proved that the earths relative velocity to the aether was undetectable.


edit -- yeh helper was right my bad

 

[helper]

It didn't prove it was zero but velocity was unable to be detected relative to the aether.

 

[sub]

yeah, then einstein sed that the aether model was superfluous - ie no longer needed. but it didn't disprove it per se, only showed that it was not needed

 

[wind]

The idea was to measure the speed of light in different directions in order to measure the speed of the aether relative to Earth, which proves/disproves its existence.

A null result was obtained and. The fact that there was no motion of the Earth relative to the aether meant that the aether hypothesis was wrong and that no aether (absolute) reference frame existed for the electomagnetic phenomena.

This opened the way for a whole new way of thinking that was to be proposed by Albert Einstein.

Eventually, physicists showed that the changes needed to make the aether hypothesis consistent with the null result meant that the aether reference fram was impossible. the aether ceased to exist as a real substance.

There you go!

 

[Jezzabelle]

M-M experiment was formulated from the hypothesis that the movement of the earth in the 'aether' would cause and aether wind. They wanted to detect this wind and measure its magnitude, so they set up an experiment to 'race' two light beams. One into the aether and one across it. picture two boats on a river. and they both leave the same spot. one races across the length of the river (say 5m for arguments sake) to a pier and the other races 5m down the river (into the current) to another pier. the time it takes them to do a return journey is timed. now you can probably imagine the logical result. it takes longer for the one traveling across the river to make the journey. this is the type of race M-M were trying to set up.

but even tho they rotated it 90^o and repeated it at different times of the day, at all different times of the year. they still got null result (ie using the boat analogy, the boats took the same amount of time)

following on from this scientist tried to make adjustments to the aether theory so it fitted in....
then einstein came along with his ideas and the M-M experiment was pointless, cos einstein propossed their was no aither etc

 

[mojako]

It was attempting to prove the existance. It produced a null result.

no it wasnt...

A null result was obtained and. The fact that there was no motion of the Earth relative to the aether meant that the aether hypothesis was wrong and that no aether (absolute) reference frame existed for the electomagnetic phenomena.

they didnt make this conclusion until some time after Einstein's 1905 paper on special relativity.

 

[ben_ratus]

It didn't disprove the Aether, it just disproved the Aether Wind. But Einstein fixed it all up later

 

[JayWalker]

I like chicken

 

[tennille]

I like chicken too. In fact, I'm having chicken for dinner. I feel special

 

[AE86]

So basically its purpose was to prove the existence of aetherwind which then shows that aether exists.

However, from experiment, results shows that there is no aetherwind because there was no intereference pattern detected, right??


Due to this confusion, MM experiement has motivated physicists to search for new hypothesis to rectify the problem??

And this person is Einstein who introduced his theory about the princple of relativity through his experimental thoughts.

Am i on the right track so far?

If not please correct me, thanks

 

[Jezzabelle]

It didn't disprove the Aether, it just disproved the Aether Wind. But Einstein fixed it all up later

correct! tell him wat he's won Deloris

So basically its purpose was to prove the existence of aetherwind which then shows that aether exists.

However, from experiment, results shows that there is no aetherwind because there was no intereference pattern detected, right??


Due to this confusion, MM experiement has motivated physicists to search for new hypothesis to rectify the problem??

And this person is Einstein who introduced his theory about the princple of relativity through his experimental thoughts.

Am i on the right track so far?

If not please correct me, thanks

einstein came along and went...
umm earth to losers.. listen to me:
blah blah inertial and non-inertial frames reference
blah blah speed of light is constant
blah blah special relativity

 

[sub]

correct! tell him wat he's won Deloris


einstein came along and went...
umm earth to losers.. listen to me:
blah blah inertial and non-inertial frames reference
blah blah speed of light is constant
blah blah special relativity

hah! i can SO see u getting 5/5 for that...
but yeah on the right track...just dont say it in those words

 

[wind]

they didnt make this conclusion until some time after Einstein's 1905 paper on special relativity.

Read the next line

 

[helper]

Do not use the term disprove. An experiment didn't disprove anything. It failed to support the hypothesis but this does not mean the hypothesis is wrong. It then was used in support of argements against the aether wind but did not disprove it.

 

[Jase]

I like chicken too.

They weren't trying to disprove anything. All they were trying to do was measure the velocity, by assuming the aether is there with no exeptions. The null result just showed there was either a flaw with the experiment, or a flaw with the theory, because the velocity of light didn't seem to be affected by the motion of source or observer relative to the aether. And even then, everyone still supported the ether for years to come and procrastinated Einstein's truth.

But I'm having instant noodles for dinner.

 

[mojako]

Read the next line

but u wrote it before that line
reading in chronological order, u were wrong

 

[wind]

Pffttt!

 

[mojako]

I'll do a close and critical study of text here.

So basically its purpose was to prove the existence of aetherwind which then shows that aether exists. its purpose was to measure the speed of aetherwind relative to earth

However, from experiment, results shows that there is no aetherwind because there was no intereference pattern detected, right?? there was no interference pattern detected but it doesnt mean there is no aetherwind. it can be that the equipment wasnt sensitive enough


Due to this confusion, MM experiement has motivated physicists to search for new hypothesis to rectify the problem?? correct to some degree... they tried to come up with reasons to explain this null result, but most of them maintained a firm belief that aether existed and the hypothesis was correct

And this person is Einstein who introduced his theory about the princple of relativity through his experimental thoughts. Einstein didnt come up with his relativity stuff to rectify the problem with MM experiment.. it's just coincidence.. something else caused him to believe that the speed of light is always constant and that time is not a fixed thing.. a side-effect of his theory is that the aether is not needed to explain the behaviour of light as he sees it

Am i on the right track so far? hmm.. probably yes probably not depending on the outcome of your critical study of my textual analysis report

If not please correct me, thanks very effective conclusion statement using the language technique of humility