This page simulates the 1887 Michelson-Morley Experiment, one of
the most famous null results in history. The purpose of the
experiment was to prove the existence of "luminiferous aether"
considered at the time to be the medium through which light
propagated. Students can control the interferometer by changing
the speed of light, altering the aether, and rotating the
experimental chamber. The results of this experiment provided
the first clear demonstration that the "aether drag theory" was
seriously flawed. Editor's Note:See Related Materials for a
detailed tutorial on the Michelson-Morley experiment. In the
1880's, the "aether wind theory" was so widely accepted that
scientists were shocked by the results of this experiment. A
flurry of new experimentation was conducted to "save" the aether
wind theory......all with null results. This topic could be an
effective springboard to examine the difficulties arising when
deeply-entrenched scientific ideas are proven erroneous. Aether,
Michelson-Morley, Speed of li