Frequently Asked Questions

Series #9 

( Last checked 2017/01/15 - The estate of Paul Marmet )
Return to:Next series of Questions
List of papers on the Web
Goto Previous Question
The Michelson-Morley Experiment

        It is generally believed that the Michelson-Morley Experiment is a test to verify whether light takes the same time to travel an equal distance along the direction parallel to the velocity of the frame, than in the transverse direction.  In the Michelson-Morley Experiment it is believed that a null result "proves" that the velocity of light is the same in both directions, as measured in the moving frame.  There is so much confidence in the demonstration done by Michelson in 1887, that nobody bothers to make a thorough re-examination of that demonstration.  In fact, if a paper is publish on that subject, nobody reads it, since all readers are convinced that nothing significantly new is expected to come out of such a paper. It is believed that the demonstration published by Michelson and Morley in the journal: "The American Journal of Physics" in November 1887 is obviously correct. 
         The Michelson-Morley demonstration is done using the analogy between the light trajectory traveling on perpendicular paths and a pair of swimmers, swimming crosswise and parallel to the water flow.  Readers are so greatly fascinated by that comparison, that they overlook searching for differences.  In fact there are at least two vital differences. 
        1--- In the case of the swimmers in the flowing river, there is absolute nothing corresponding to the reflection of light on mirrors.  Due to the current flow of water, it is clear that the angle of reflection of light on mirrors cannot be calculated in a reliable way, by analogy with the swimmers near the shore.   The swimmers are not reflected back in water. 
        2 --- There is also another totally missing analogy with the moving swimmers in the river.  That is the half-transparent mirror, at 45 degrees, in the Michelson-Morley experiment.  Using the swimmers analogy, it is impossible to calculate reliably, in what direction the moving mirror at 45 degrees in the Michelson-Morley experiment, will reflect light.  Therefore that problem has been ignored. 
        These two problems have been totally overlooked by Michelson-Morley.  Absolutely nothing is mentioned, so that these problems have been totally ignored.  Even worse, these problems have also been totally ignored in all papers written in the full century following the 1887 Michelson-Morley’s paper.
        -
        These problems have been considered recently in a new paper entitled: “The Overlooked Phenomena in the Michelson-Morley Experiment.”
        It can be found on the Web at:
http://www.newtonphysics.on.ca/michelson/index.html
        -
        In this paper, we find how these phenomena, as well as the Bradley Aberration of light, modify the light path inside the Michelson-Morley apparatus.  Due to the overlooked phenomena in the interferometer, and therefore contrary to Michelson-Morley calculation, it is demonstrated that classical physics requires that light does not remain parallel to the X and Y axis of the interferometer.  Consequently, the distance traveled by light in each direction, inside the interferometer, is not what Michelson and Morley have calculated.  It is demonstrated that due to the velocity of the semi-transparent mirror, there is a slight change of direction of light, which makes the light path longer inside the interferometer. 
        One must conclude that, assuming a classical absolute frame of reference, as understood by Michelson and Morley, their apparatus cannot show any drift of interference fringes when the apparatus is rotated.  In order to be compatible with the Einstein’s space-time distortion, the Michelson-Morley should show a drift of interference fringes.  We know that the drift of interference fringes, having the amplitude predicted by Michelson-Morley, does not exist. 
-
There is also another experiment testing the asymmetric distortion of space.  
It is the Brillet-Hall experiment. We can also see that this experiment is perfectly compatible with Galilean space, contrary to Einstein's relativity. 

        One must conclude that the Michelson-Morley results and the Brillet-Hall experiment disprove Einstein’s relativity.
We hope that someone will bother to read carefully the paper: 
"The Overlooked Phenomena in the Michelson-Morley Experiment"
at:
 http://www.newtonphysics.on.ca/michelson/index.html
and 
"Design Error in the Brillet and Hall’s Experiment"
at:
http://www.newtonphysics.on.ca/brillet_hall/index.html
before the end of the 21st century. 

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

New  Choice of Questions

---

---

- --

---

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

 Return to top of page
Go to: Previous Series of Questions
Next series of questions
 Return to list of questions
 Return to list of papers

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>