The Michelson-Morley Experiment

The Forces of Nature by Kelland Terry, Ph.D.

Albert Einstein published his special theory of relativity in 1905. This theory has been used to explain the odd behavior of electrons and radioactive particles in particle accelerators, the strange behavior of atomic clocks and radioactive particles in motion, and other curious phenomenon involving photons. I will come back to these observations after I discuss the origin of the equation that forms the backbone of special relativity.

The theory of relativity has its roots in an experiment carried out by A. Michelson and E. W. Morley in 1887. They demonstrated experimentally that the velocity of light appears to be the same regardless of the direction it is aimed from a moving source. In this experiment, the velocity of light was measured in reference to Earth’s motion as it orbits the Sun. The instrument used was an interferometer they built on a large slab of sandstone which was floated on a sea of mercury. This made it possible to change the orientation of the instrument and the direction the photons are ejected from their source, and subsequently their direction moving through the interferometer, without disturbing its adjustment. By this means they could compare the velocity of light traveling in various directions. If Earth’s rotation did indeed affect the velocity of the photon, this instrument was easily capable of detecting Earth’s orbital velocity of 29,786 meters per second. The final result of this sensitive experiment indicated that light leaving a source was not influenced by Earth’s rotation as measured in their interferometer.

Of course, this is far different than a bullet short from a moving train. If a bullet is shot in the same direction the train is moving, its velocity is the combined sum of mussel velocity and train velocity; whereas, a bullet shot in the opposite direction is slower because the train’s velocity must be subtracted from mussel velocity. All of this is perfectly reasonable, which caused the scientists at the time to ask why it doesn’t apply to the velocity of light?

The Irish physicist, G. Fitzgerald, suggested that the velocity of light is modified by Earth’s velocity, but cannot be detected in the Michelson-Morley experiment because the length of the instrument (slab of sandstone) shrinks in the direction it is moving. A Dutch physicist by the name of Hendrik Lorentz derived an equation that makes it possible to calculate what the shrinkage would have to be for a given velocity. This article was published in 1892. This equation is known as the Lorentz contraction, and it is always less than one.

Where v is the velocity of the instrument and c is the velocity of light.

Thus, the length of the interferometer would vary according to its velocity with respect to the normal velocity of light as shown in the following equation:

Because the Lorentz contraction is always less than one, the length in motion is always less than the length at rest.

This equation, along with other uses of the Lorentz contraction, forms the basis of the special theory of relativity. I will continue with this discussion in my next blog. Till then be safe and in good health. Kelland—www.vestheory.com

Elastic strings dictate speed of light

The Forces of Nature by Kelland Terry, Ph.D.

James Maxwell was able to show that the speed of light could be calculated using the electric constant and magnetic constant in the following way.

I have found no easy way to use these symbols for the constants in a blog except as bitmaps, which is very cumbersome; therefore, in the next paragraph, ec becomes the electric constant and mc the magnetic constant.

Maxwell came to these conclusions:
1. Energy density of the electric field = ½ ec E^2,where ec is the electric constant with a value of 8.854 x 10^-12 F/m, and E is the electric field, which is a vector force. The value of this constant was determined in the laboratory by experimentation. This made it possible for Maxwell to calculate the velocity of light.
2. Energy density of the magnetic field = ½ B^2/mc, where mc is the magnetic constant with a value of 4pi x 10^-7 H/m, and B is the magnetic field, which is a vector force. The magnetic constant is a value derived to satisfy the requirements of the energy of the magnetic field.

The energy density of the electric field = energy density of the magnetic field. Thus: ½ ec E^2 = ½ B^2/mc

Because the energy density of the electric field and magnetic field are equal, we can combine the two equations and show the following relationship:

This shows very clearly why the ratio of the electric field and magnetic field equals the velocity of light. This is only possible if the fields, which are composed of elastic strings, are somehow intimately and directly responsible for the velocity of light. We will continue with this discussion in the next blog. Till then be safe and in good health. Kelland—www.vestheory.com

The speed of light

The Forces of Nature by Kelland Terry, Ph.D.

The speed of light has been studied by a number of individuals from various countries around the world for more than 300 years. In the 1600s, Galileo attempted to determine its velocity by using two lanterns separated by a great distance. He concluded that the speed of light was either instantaneous or had great velocity. Various other methods have been used since that time including observations of Jupiter’s moons, aberration of star light, toothed wheels, rotating mirrors, etc. Values obtained ranged from 214,000,000 meters per second to 315,000,000 meters per second.

In 1862, a Frenchman by the name of Foucault used rotating mirrors to estimate its speed at 298,000,000 m/s. A few years later, James Clerk Maxwell discovered that the velocity of light could be calculated using its magnetic and electric properties. This method arrives at 299,781,000 m/s for the speed of light. This is only an estimate because the electric property used in the equation is determined by experimentation.

At the present time, the velocity of light is determined by using a laser light of known frequency and wavelength. This allows the speed of light to be calculated with great accuracy.

Photon speed = wavelength x frequency = 299,792,459.0 meters per second plus or minus just 0.0008 meters per second.

I believe it is more than mere coincidence that the remainder is zero. This will become clear in future blogs.

In the next blog, I will discuss how Maxwell was able to calculate the speed of light using its magnetic and electric properties. Till then be safe and in good health. Kelland—www.vestheory.com