Michelson-Morley experiment
- noun
- /ˈmaɪkəlˌsən ˈmɔrli ɪkˈspɛrɪmənt/
- Specialized
:
experimento de Michelson-Morley
- The null result of the Michelson-Morley experiment played a crucial role in shaping modern physics.
Examples
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Modern descendants of the Michelson-Morley experiment furnish the best limits on light-speed anisotropies.
Academic text (2004) -
The null result of the celebrated 1887 Michelson-Morley experiment was surprising and difficult to explain in terms of then prevalent physics concepts.
Academic text (2004) -
In addition to the Michelson-Morley experiments that look for an anisotropy in the speed of light, two other types of experiments have constrained deviations from special relativity.
Academic text (2004) -
In 1887, the Michelson-Morley experiment aimed to detect any variations in the speed of light caused by the Earth's motion.
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Researchers often refer to the Michelson-Morley experiment as a pivotal moment that led to Einstein's theory of relativity.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Michelson-Morley + experiment
While 'experiment' is transparent as a scientific test, the key information about what was tested and its significance is carried by the proper-name 'Michelson-Morley', which is not semantically interpretable by knowing ordinary word meanings. A B1 learner who knows the constituents would only infer that it is an experiment named after people, not that it tested the Earth's motion effect on light or produced a null result, so the overall meaning is not derivable from the parts.
Etymology
The Michelson-Morley experiment was an 1887 test by scientists Michelson and Morley who tried to find the invisible 'ether' by looking for tiny changes in the speed of light as the Earth moved. They expected the light speed to change but found 'no difference', and that surprising result made scientists think again about light and space and helped lead to Einstein's theory of relativity.
