interpret results of m-morley (1 Viewer)

[clever angel]

hi,

can someone help me answer this dot pt.

analyse and process information to interpret the results of michelson-morley's experiment

in jacaranda on page 92 i think, it gives some info about boats, is that what we should do?

urgent help needed

 

[Xayma]

The boats show the expected result, that is the interference pattern should change as the direction of the light to the aether wind (the current) changes.

They achieved a null result. The theory underwent revisions, such as length contracting in the direction of the aether wind and that a large body drag the aether with it (although this is impossible as it would stuff up the viewing of stars).

 

[clever angel]

so what do i write?

have u read page 92 in jacaranda?

i want to know whether to do that or just write about the null result

 

[rama_v]

Basically the null result meant that
1) the aether theory had to be modified or
2) the aether theory had to be discarded. As Xayma said it was orinigaly modified but those predictions were proved false and so Einstein (who actually beleived that there was an aether for a long time) came up with his theory of SR which explained the results of teh M-m experiment.

So teh significance is that teh aether theory was discarded although this depends on the textbook you use. Apparently there are still people trying to prove the existence of an aether. The point is, with SR, the aether was no longer a necessity to explain the properties of light.

 

[velox]

The book is a way of explaining it. Basically there was no inference pattern change when it was rotated 90 degrees so therefore there was no aether.