Concept explainers
(a)
How much time would light, moving at speed c, need to travel from the partially silvered plate to one mirror and back again, suppose that the distance in the Michelson-Morley experiment from the partially silvered plate to either mirror is 20,000 m?
Explanation of Solution
Given info:
Formula used:
Calculation:
The Michelson−Morley experiment attempted to measure a difference between light travel times in two perpendicular legs of an interferometer: One leg was situated parallel to the ether wind and the other perpendicular to the ether wind. For the "parallel leg" of the interferometer, we need to calculate the speed of the light traveling with the wind and against the wind; the round-trip time on this leg is equal to the sum of the times of each one-way trip. For the "perpendicular leg," we need to calculate the component of the
Parallel time:
Perpendicular time:
Time difference between legs:
Speed:
Gamma:
Time difference between legs:
Conclusion:
Time difference between legs
(b)
How much additional time would be required if the ether existed, if the Galilean velocity transformation were valid, and if Earth moved relative to the ether along the direction from the partially silvered plate to this mirror at speed at 0.01c?
Explanation of Solution
Given info:
Formula used:
Calculation:
Gamma:
Time difference between legs:
Conclusion:
Time difference between legs
(c)
How much additional time would be required if the ether existed, if the Galilean velocity transformation were valid, and if Earth moved relative to the ether along the direction from the partially silvered plate to this mirror at speed at 0.1c?
Explanation of Solution
Given info:
Formula used:
Calculation:
Gamma:
Time difference between legs:
Conclusion:
Time difference between legs
(d)
How much additional time would be required if the ether existed, if the Galilean velocity transformation were valid, and if Earth moved relative to the ether along the direction from the partially silvered plate to this mirror at speed at 0.5c?
Explanation of Solution
Given info:
Formula used:
Calculation:
Gamma:
Time difference between legs:
Conclusion:
Time difference between legs
(e)
How much additional time would be required if the ether existed, if the Galilean velocity transformation were valid, and if Earth moved relative to the ether along the direction from the partially silvered plate to this mirror at speed at 0.9c?
Explanation of Solution
Given info:
Formula used:
Calculation:
Gamma:
Time difference between legs:
Conclusion:
Time difference between legs
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Chapter 25 Solutions
COLLEGE PHYSICS
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