Questions tagged [aether]
Aether (or ether) relates to the material which supposedly fills the entire universe. It is a concept used to understand action at a distance. Aether was described by Huygens as an "omnipresent, perfectly elastic medium having zero density", to support his wave theory of light.
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Understanding the math of the Michelson-Morley experiment
I'm having some conceptual misunderstandings of the Michelson-Morley experiment. The time for the beam going perpendicular ($t_{across}$) of the aether wind I am getting:
$$(ct)^{2}=d^{2}+(vt)^{2}\\
(...
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Why are the Michelson-Morley experimental results interpreted more broadly than the scope of the tested medium?
My understanding of the experimental design is that they tested for a stationary, luminiferous, light propagating, non-interacting with mass, uniform, ubiquitous medium.
This is but one possible ...
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What exactly is weird about waves propagating without a medium? What does it violate? [closed]
I can not seem to grasp, why exactly does light travelling through space without the need of any medium was baffling for the scientists of 1800's.
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Why didn't Michelson and Morley assume or conclude that aether is homogenous and permeate all of space?
In the Michelson-Morley experiment, why didn't they assume or conclude that ether is homogeneous and permeate all of space instead of coming from an unspecified source or direction dubbed the ether ...
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Speed of light in Michelson-Morley experiment
The (failed) goal of the Michelson-Morley experiment was to detect the motion of the Earth with respect to the hypothetical ether. As far as I understand (e.g. from the exposition in Feynman’s ...
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Was the Michelson & Morely experiment ever valid? [closed]
One of the key predecessors to Einstein's Relativity was another theory having to do with an "Aether" material. This substance was supposed to be the substrate that the universe is built ...
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What would happen if the aether did exist and there was no such thing as relativity? [closed]
I'm curious as to the purpose of relativity and why the universe would function this way as opposed to a universe with an aether. So what would be different if we had an aether?
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All Michelson-Morley experiments have only been done in non-inertial conditions. Does special relativity apply or not?
As far as I know not a single Michelson-Morley experiment has been done in non-inertial conditions. Shouldn't it be general relativity that applies to Michelson-Morley experiments done so far?
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Help with understanding Einstein's thought experiment of the train [closed]
My understanding is that Einstein claimed that the aether model of light is inconsistent with the principle of relativity (that you cannot tell the difference between constant velocity and being ...
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Why does light (supposedly) move diagonally in Michelson-Morley Experiment? [closed]
(Im specifically referring to this video at 12:30)
In Michelson-Morley experiment, one light beam goes perpendicular to the velocity of earth, and other goes parallel to the velocity of earth.
Im ...
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The medium of electromagnetic waves [closed]
I'm just wondering if anyone else has ever pondered the question: what medium do electromagnetic waves travel through? and like me remained unsatisfied with the explanation that they are 'non-...
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Can transverse waves be both mechanical and non-mechanical?
Transverse waves need a medium for particles to propagate perpendicular to the wave right? Then how can transverse waves be non mechanical which do not require any medium?
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Why does the speed of Etherwind change? [closed]
I am currently reading texts on ether theory.
Now I have a question regarding the aether wind, since it is not well explained in the books I have read.
According to the theory, there must be a ...
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What is Space in Physics? [closed]
Is space a physical thing like matter? Is it a concrete thing or just an abstract concept?
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Compatibility of the existence of ether and Galilean relativity [closed]
Why does the idea of ether contradict Galilean relativity? Consider for example what Coiller wrote in his book, A Most Incomprehensible Thing - Notes Towards a Very Gentle Introduction to the ...
