-19-

Michelson - Morley experiment

Michelson and Morley experiment is very famous in the history of physics. It is responsible for the decline and fall of ether, the endless sea of some mysterious impalpable jelly in which the electromagnetic radiations were supposed to be vibrating their way back and forth through the universe. And the great scientist Einstein gave us the special relativity after the fall of ether.

The Michelson-Morley experiments were designed to use measurements involving the speed of light to determine the relative velocity of earth and the ether. It was thought that if ether exists there must be some relative velocity between the two at any time of the year. The transmission of light waves through ether was considered to be similar to the transmission of sound waves through air. An observer could determine the velocity of wind by measuring the speed of transmission of sound (relative to observer) in several different directions. The ingenious apparatus set by Michelson and Morley split a beam of light into two parts that traveled out along paths at right angles to one another, and were then reflected back to the observer. A change in interference patterns between the returning beams was expected during the full year because in such a long time of one year the relative velocity between the earth and ether cannot remain constant due to the rotation of earth. It was thought that the relative change of velocity between the earth and ether should effect the velocity of light if measured on the surface of earth. In the Michelson-Morley experiment it was thought that the velocity of light among any two right angled beam of lights will certainly change at any time of the year, and it will certainly change the interference patterns formed by the returning beams.

But, as the experiment was carried out several times, no change in the interference pattern was observed. This was only interpreted to mean that the speed of light relative to the apparatus remained the same in both the right-angled paths or there is nothing in the space which can effect the speed of light. Space was supposed to be perfectly vacant which the great Einstein too believed.  

As per my observation regarding the above experiment there seems to be one very simple flaw in the Michelson-Morley experiment due to which it was not capable to prove whether the ether wind or any other substance exists or not.

In the experiment both the beams were made to travel in the opposite directions after reflection from the mirrors. Thus a beam of light have traveled half of the distance in one direction and the next half in opposite direction. Now, suppose one beam of light is traveling from East to West during first half of its path before reflection and the wind of ether is moving from West to East, the speed of light should reduce according to Michelson and Morley due to opposite direction of ether. But, when the beam of light starts traveling from West to East after reflection, the wind of ether should increase its speed. And, as the beam of light is traveling same distance in both the directions, it will always cover its total distance from East to West and West to East at the same interval of time irrespective of the speed and direction of the ether. Or, the average of two speeds, the one from East to West and second for West to East, will always come out to be same as the speed lost in one direction will be gained in the other direction.  

In my opinion nothing is vacant in our universe and space is occupied by smallest push particles moving in all directions in different pattern of spiral paths. The points around which these particles are crossing each other during their movement can be considered to be stationary for the purpose to find the true speed of heavenly bodies.