The Michelson-Morley experiment, conducted in 1887 by Albert A. Michelson and Edward W. Morley, aimed to detect the presence of the luminiferous aether, a medium thought to carry light waves. The experiment utilized an interferometer, which split a beam of light into two perpendicular paths, reflecting them back to create an interference pattern. The key hypothesis was that the Earth’s motion through the aether would cause a difference in the travel times of the two beams, leading to a shift in the interference pattern.
Despite meticulous measurements, the experiment found no significant difference, leading to a null result. This outcome suggested that the aether did not exist, challenging classical physics and ultimately contributing to the development of Einstein's theory of relativity. The Michelson-Morley experiment fundamentally changed our understanding of light propagation and the nature of space, reinforcing the idea that the speed of light is constant in all inertial frames.
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