Michelson–Morley experiment

E5002

The Michelson–Morley experiment was a landmark 1887 physics experiment that attempted to detect the Earth's motion through the hypothesized luminiferous aether and whose null result helped pave the way for Einstein's theory of special relativity.

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AI-generated illustration of Michelson–Morley experiment

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Prompt

Generate an image of the Michelson–Morley experiment (The Michelson–Morley experiment was a landmark 1887 physics experiment that attempted to detect the Earth's motion through the hypothesized luminiferous aether and whose null result helped pave the way for Einstein's theory of special relativity.)

All labels observed (4)

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical scientific experiment ⓘ
interferometry experiment ⓘ
physics experiment ⓘ
aimedTo detect the Earth’s motion through the luminiferous aether ⓘ
measure differences in the speed of light due to aether wind ⓘ
challenged luminiferous aether hypothesis ⓘ
conclusion no detectable aether drift ⓘ
conductedBy Albert A. Michelson ⓘ
Edward W. Morley ⓘ
considered one of the most important null results in physics ⓘ
contradicted aether wind predictions ⓘ
country United States ⓘ
endDate 1887-07-31 ⓘ
field optics ⓘ
physics ⓘ
relativity ⓘ
found no significant difference in the speed of light in different directions ⓘ
influenced Albert Einstein ⓘ
special relativity ⓘ
legacy paved the way for modern relativity theory ⓘ
undermined classical aether theories ⓘ
location Case School of Applied Science ⓘ
Cleveland, Ohio ⓘ
linked to: Cleveland
preceded Einstein’s 1905 paper on special relativity ⓘ
precision one of the most precise optical experiments of the 19th century ⓘ
publication On the Relative Motion of the Earth and the Luminiferous Ether ⓘ
publicationYear 1887 ⓘ
publishedIn American Journal of Science ⓘ
relatedConcept Galilean relativity ⓘ
Lorentz contraction ⓘ
Lorentz transformations ⓘ
aether theory ⓘ
invariance of the speed of light ⓘ
relatedTo Ives–Stilwell experiment ⓘ
Kennedy–Thorndike experiment ⓘ
Trouton–Noble experiment ⓘ
result null result ⓘ
startDate 1887-07-01 ⓘ
supported constancy of the speed of light in all directions ⓘ
usedComponent half-silvered mirror ⓘ
light source ⓘ
optical mirrors ⓘ
orthogonal interferometer arms ⓘ
usedInstrument Michelson interferometer ⓘ
usedMedium light in air ⓘ
usedMethod optical interferometry ⓘ
year 1887 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (17)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies → relatedTo → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
Michelson–Morley experiment → publication → On the Relative Motion of the Earth and the Luminiferous Ether ⓘ
linked to: Michelson–Morley experiment
Michelson interferometer → usedInExperiment → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
Kennedy–Thorndike experiment → relatedTo → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
Kennedy–Thorndike experiment → comparedWith → Michelson–Morley experiment with equal arms ⓘ
linked to: Michelson–Morley experiment
Ives–Stilwell experiment → relatedTo → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
Case School of Applied Science → knownFor → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
Albert A. Michelson → knownFor → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
Albert A. Michelson → notableWork → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
Edward W. Morley → notableWork → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
Trouton–Noble experiment → relatedTo → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
Lorentz ether theory → influencedBy → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
Albert A. Michelson → knownFor → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
subject linked to: Albert
Albert A. Michelson → notableWork → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
subject linked to: Albert
Albert A. Michelson → notableExperiment → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ
subject linked to: Albert
Fizeau experiment → influenced → Michelson light-speed measurements ⓘ
linked to: Michelson–Morley experiment
George Francis FitzGerald → associatedWith → Michelson–Morley experiment ⓘ