Results of the Michelson Morley Experiment (1 Viewer)

[Cleevaz]

In regards to the Michelson Morley experiment, they failed to find evidence for an aether.

Why was the null experiment considered to be significant?

I know theres something to do with it the theory of special relativity but i dont really understand how you would answer it. How did the result affect Einstein's development of the theory of special relativity?

 

[Dx_God]

the experiment constantly showed "null results" despite they continuously tried to improve the accuracy of the experiment. This basically showed that aether did not affect the motion of light, and its properties needed to be revised ie. being the medium of light. from that result, Einstein concluded that the existence of aether was not important (since EMR did not require a medium, aether to propagate) and that the speed of light is a constant. as speed of light is said to be constant, a new branch of physics had began. special relativity. (u can just look into ur jacaranda book for how constancy of the speed of light caused time dilation, length contraction, and mass dilation because the proof is pretty long and i can't be bothered writing it all out)

 

[Cleevaz]

Ah ok. Thanks alot.

I know the rest of it, i was just missing the link between special relativity and the null results. It was just because everyone kept coming up with excuses in why the experiment showed no existence of an aether that confused me.