The Relationship between the Michelson-Morley Experiment and Special Relativity
The Michelson-Morley experiment has been understood by many as paving the way for Einstein's special theory of relativity.The reason for this is straightforward:the"failure"of the experiment is expected and easily explained by the constant speed of light independent of relative motion.Einstein,however,made no specific mention in his 1905 paper about the Michelson-Morley experiment.In this paper,I clarify a debatable issue:when and how did Einstein learn about the Michelson-Morley experiment?Through examining Einstein's early letters exchanged with his fiancée Mileva Máric,I identify that Einstein did know of the Michelson-Morley experiment before 1905 from Wien's 1898 paper,Lorentz's 1895 monograph,and Drude's 1900 book.Howev-er,the influence of the Michelson-Morley experiment on Einstein's creation of special relativity was small and indirect.Einstein came to special relativity through a different route:the conflict between the principle of relativity and the Maxwell-Lorentz theory of electrodynamics.What actually influenced Ein-stein were a group of ether-drift experiments,instead of the single Michelson-Morley experiment.Thirteen experiments bearing on detecting the earth's motion through the ether in Wien's 1898 paper were enough for Einstein to abandon the hypothesis of the ether and absolute space.
ethervelocity of lightabsolute spaceMichelson-Morley experimentspecial relativity
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