MICHELSON MORLEY EXPERIMENT:

• It was believed that light travels through the medium called EATHER.

• Instead of boats A and B, we will have two light rays.

• As boats are moving in water, light rays are moving similarly in ether.

• We can have earth in place of ground.

• Here the observer is on the earth and measure the velocity of light w .r. t. earth
• which is a stationary frame of reference for him.
• An arrangement of Michelson-Morley experiment is as shown in the figure.

• As shown in the figure , a parallel beam of light ray is made to incident on a

• semi silvered glass plate.
• A partly reflected beam moves along the path A, while partly transmitted
• beam moves along the path B.
• A beam along path A passes through a glass plate P, reaches to mirror M 1 and
• after reflection at M 1 it comes back along the same path.
• It is transmitted through the semi silvered plate and enters into the field of
• view.
• On the other hand, partly transmitted beam moving along the path B is
• reflected back from the mirror M 2 .
• It is again reflected from the semi silvered plate and enters into the field of
• view.
• Thus, in the field of view, these two rays superpose on each other.
• Mirrors M 1 ,M 2and the glass plate P are so arranged that the rays travel the
• same distance.
• If now ether moves with respect to the earth, as shown in the figure the time
• taken by the rays will be different.
• So by adjusting, M 1 and M 2 interference fringes can be observed.
• If now the apparatus, is shifted by 90° , because of the motion of the ether,
• the path difference changes and the fringes must be displaced.

• The displacement of the fringes can be calculated as follows.

• In the first position of the apparatus, let t A and t B be the time taken by the
• rays A and B respectively.

• Therefore time difference will be,

• ∆ t = tB – tA
• The corresponding path difference,
• ∆ x = c ( tB – tA )
• Where c is the velocity of light in the ether.
• When the instrument is turned through 90°, the path difference is inverted.
• In other words, the path difference of ∆x is added.
• Thus the displacement is 2 ∆x.
• If this path difference is nλ, where n fringes will be found to be displaced.
• nλ = 2 ∆x
• = 2c ( t B – t A )
2c ( t B – t A )
• So n =
λ

• We know that
2𝐷 2𝐷
• tA = 1 , So here t A = 1
𝑣2
𝑤−𝑔 2 𝑣2
𝑒−𝑔 2
𝑣𝑏−𝑤 1 − 2
𝑣𝑏−𝑤
c 1− 2
𝐶
 2𝐷
• tB = 𝑣2
𝑒−𝑔
𝑣𝐿−𝑒 1− 2
𝑣𝐿−𝑒

2𝐷 2𝐷
• Now t B − t A = 𝑣2
− 1
𝑒−𝑔
𝑣𝐿−𝑒 1− 2 𝑣2
𝑒−𝑔 2
𝑣𝐿−𝑒 c 1−
𝐶2

• Denote 𝑣𝐿−𝑒 by c
2𝐷 2𝐷
• So t B − t A = 𝑣2
− 1
𝑒−𝑔
𝐶 1− 2 𝑣2
𝑒−𝑔 2
𝐶 c 1−
𝐶2
 2 −1 2 −1/2
2𝐷 𝑣𝑒−𝑔 𝑣𝑒−𝑔
• So t B − t A = 1 − − 1 −
𝐶 𝐶2 𝐶2

• Expanding the bracketed terms by binomial theorem and considering first two
• terms only

2
𝑣𝑒−𝑔 2
𝑣𝑒−𝑔 2
𝑣𝑒−𝑔 2
𝑣𝑒−𝑔 2
𝑣𝑒−𝑔
2𝐷 2𝐷 2𝐷
• So t B − t A = 1+ −1− = − =
𝐶 𝐶2 2 𝐶2 𝐶 𝐶2 2 𝐶2 𝐶 2 𝐶2

2
𝑣𝑒−𝑔
𝐷
• So t B − t A = .
𝐶 𝐶2
• Here 𝑣𝑒−𝑔 = the velocity of ether with respect to earth (ground)
• = 3 x 10 4 m/s
• C = velocity of light =3 x 10 8 m/s
2c ( t B – t A )
• We know that n =
λ
• Now substituting the value of t B – t A in above equation we get

2
𝑣𝑒−𝑔 2
𝑣𝑒−𝑔
𝐶 𝐷 𝐷
n=2. . . (as t B − t A = . )
λ 𝐶 𝐶2 𝐶 𝐶2

For D = 10 m and λ = 5000 A° we get

3 𝑋 108 10 (3 𝑋 104 )2
n=2. . .
5000 𝑋10−10 3 𝑋 108 (3 𝑋 108 )2

• n = 0.4 fringes
• Thus in the presence of ether’s motion we should get 0.4 fringes displacement.
• But no such displacement is observed.
• Thus Michelson Morley experiment results are negative.

• Thus two conclusions are resulted from these experiments.

• (1) The hypothesis of ether is wrong.

• (2) The velocity of light in vacuum is constant irrespective

• of direction and relative motion of source and observer.
• In 1905 Einstein put forward theory of relativity, which is based on two
postulates:

• (1) The laws of physics remain invariant while transformed from one inertial
• frame of reference to another inertial frame of reference.

• (2) The velocity of light in vacuum is constant irrespective of direction and

• relative motion of source and observer. In other words, the velocity of light in
• all inertial frames of reference is the same.
LORENTZ – TRANSFORMATIONS:
• If we examine the results of Michelson – Morley’s experiment , we find that
• these transformations are not true for the motion of light.

• Here the laws of addition of velocities does not hold.

• So Galilean transformations are not true for velocity of light.

• Thus we require a new transformation which is linear and should reduce to

• Galilean transformation for small velocity.
• Suppose x, y, z are the coordinates measured in the frame of reference S-x y z
• at time t and x’, y’ z’ are the coordinates measured in the frame of reference
• of reference S’- x ’y’ z’ at time t’.

• Considering S’- x ’y’ z’ is moving with respect to S- x y z with velocity V

• in x- direction only.

• Consider the linear transformation of the form

• x’ = k ( x – Vt ) ……………(1)
• There is no relative motion in the y and z direction.
• So y’ = y ………..(2)
• and z’ = z ………..(3)

• Now if we invert the direction of relative motion of the two systems , we have

• x = k ( x’ + Vt’ ) ……..(4) [ x’ = k ( x – Vt ) …(1) ]

• Substituting the value of x’ from equation (1) into equation (4) we get

• x = k (k ( x – Vt ) + Vt’ )

• x = k 2x – k 2 Vt + k Vt’
• x = k 2x – k 2 Vt + k Vt’

• k Vt’ = x – k 2x + k 2 Vt

• k Vt’ = x ( 1 – k 2 ) + k 2 Vt
• or

x ( 1 – k2)
• t’ = kt + …………..(5)
𝑘𝑉

• Suppose at t = t’ = 0 , the origins of both coordinate systems coincide

• on each other.
• At this moment x = x’ = 0.
• The velocity of light is the same in both the frame of reference.
• we know that x’ = k ( x – Vt )
x ( 1 – k2)
• Now for S, x = c t ………….(6) and t’ = kt +
𝑘𝑉
• And for S’ , x’ = c t’ ..……….(7)
• Substituting the value of x’ and t’ in equation (7) we get
x ( 1 – k2)
• k ( x – Vt ) = c ( kt + )
𝑘𝑉
( 1 – k2)
• k ( x – Vt ) = c kt + . cx
𝑘𝑉
( 1 – k2)
• k x – k Vt = c kt + . cx
𝑘𝑉
( 1 – k2)
• kx - . cx = c kt + k Vt
𝑘𝑉
( 1 – k2)
• x(k- . c ) = c kt + k Vt
𝑘𝑉
 c kt + k Vt
• x= 2)
k− ( 1 – k .c
𝑘𝑉

k + k V/𝑐
• =ct 2)
k− ( 1 – k .c
𝑘𝑉

1 + V/𝑐
• =ct
1 − 12 − 1 c/V
k

• But we know that x = c t

• So
1 + V/𝑐
• ct=ct
1 − 12 − 1 c/V
k

1 + V/𝑐
• =1
1 − 12 − 1 c/V
k

1
• 1 + V/𝑐 =1− 2 − 1 c/V
k

1
• V/𝑐 =− − 1 c/V
k2
 𝑉2 1
• =1-
𝑐2 k2

1 𝑉2
• 2 =1-
k 𝑐2

1
• k2 = 𝑉2
1− 𝑐2

1
• k= ………..(8)
𝑉2
1− 𝑐2
• We know that x’ = k ( x – Vt )
1
• putting the value of k in above equation we get k=
𝑉2
1− 𝑐2
( x – Vt )
• x’ = ………..(9)
𝑉2
1− 𝑐2
• y’ = y ………….(10)

• z’ = z ……………(11)

• Again we know that x’ = k ( x – Vt ) and x’ = c t’

• So c t’ = k ( x – Vt )
• c t’ = k ( x – Vt ) and x = c t

• so c t’ = k ( c t – Vt )

• c t’ = k t ( c – V )

𝑉
• t’ = k t ( 1 – )
𝑐
•
𝑡𝑉
• =k(t– )
𝑐

𝑉𝑥
• =k(t– ) as x = c t, t = x/c
𝑐2
 t – 𝑉𝑥
𝑐2
• t’ = …………..(12)
𝑉2
1− 2
𝑐
• Equations (9), (10), (11) and (12) are called Lorentz transformations.

• For inverse Lorentz transformation the measurements are to be transformed

• From S’ to S , put V = - V and exchange x and x’ and t and t’.
( x′ + Vt′ )
• x=
𝑉2
1 − 𝑐2
• y = y’
•
• z = z’
 𝑉𝑥′
t′ +𝑐2
•t=
𝑉2
1− 2
𝑐