Why Does Rotating the Michelson-Morley Apparatus Change the Time Delay?

In summary, the Michelson-Morley experiment aimed to test the existence of the luminiferous ether, which was thought to be the medium through which light traveled. It involved splitting a beam of light into two perpendicular beams and recombining them to look for interference, using an interferometer. The results of the experiment showed no interference, contradicting the belief in the luminiferous ether. This experiment is significant in the history of science as it paved the way for Einstein's theory of relativity and has been replicated and built upon by other scientists, such as the Kennedy-Thorndike experiment.
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BareFootKing
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I am having difficulty understanding why when the apparatus in the figure on page 448 (http://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~phys22/K%20and%20K%20Sections/KK_Chapter11.pdf ) is rotated 90 degrees the time delay is twice what it was before. When I think about I immediately think it would be the same since the two are merely switching the positions.


It discuses it on page 449. The last paragraph. I didn't understand the reason as to why.
 
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Related to Why Does Rotating the Michelson-Morley Apparatus Change the Time Delay?

1. What is the purpose of the Michelson-Morley experiment?

The purpose of the Michelson-Morley experiment was to test the existence of the luminiferous ether, which was believed to be the medium through which light waves traveled.

2. How was the Michelson-Morley experiment conducted?

The experiment involved splitting a beam of light into two perpendicular beams, sending them through different paths, and then recombining them to see if there was any interference. This was done using a device called an interferometer.

3. What were the results of the Michelson-Morley experiment?

The results of the experiment showed no interference between the two beams of light, indicating that there was no difference in the speed of light in different directions. This contradicted the prevailing belief in the existence of the luminiferous ether.

4. Why is the Michelson-Morley experiment important in the history of science?

The Michelson-Morley experiment is important because it provided evidence against the existence of the luminiferous ether, which was a widely accepted concept at the time. This paved the way for Einstein's theory of relativity and revolutionized our understanding of space and time.

5. Has the Michelson-Morley experiment been replicated or built upon since its original findings?

Yes, the experiment has been replicated numerous times and has also been built upon by other scientists. One notable example is the Kennedy-Thorndike experiment, which used a similar setup to measure the relative velocity of Earth through space.

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