4.2.3 (1 Viewer)

[kimmeh]

Discuss the role of the Michelson-Morley experiment in making determinations about competing theories
am i supposed to adress this by making a general statement about experiments and hypotheses? Also, i dont understand "making determinations about competeing theories". Can someone explain this ?

 

[redslert]

yes spot on

i remember last year my tutor wasn't too sure on this either, so he rang up boardofstudies and asked them.
their answer was that you have to make a statement and explain what an experiment and a hypothesis is! even if the question doesn't directly ask you to do so, you are meant to do it if it mentions michelson-morley

now with making determinations about competing theories i'm not too sure about this one as my memory of physics is fading, fast!, it is just saying something about how since the MM experiment came up with a null result, and then einstein put forward the special theory of relativity saying how the aether was superfluous....bah bah bah.......as Einstein's theory could not be tested at the time. this came to a point where scientists had a choice between two things

1) continue to accept a theory for which no prediction proved true (the aether)
2) follow an alternative theory for which predictions to prove true (special relativity)

 

[Xayma]

Originally posted by redslert
1) continue to accept a theory for which no prediction proved true (the aether)
2) follow an alternative theory for which predictions to prove true (special relativity)

3) Modify the existing theories so it fits in with the results (what they did)

 

[kimmeh]

Ohhh thanks redslert and Xayma

Originally posted by redslert
i remember last year my tutor wasn't too sure on this either, so he rang up boardofstudies and asked them.

since when could you do this ? i have a million questions to ask them

 

[xiao1985]

Ohhh thanks redslert and Xayma
since when could you do this ? i have a million questions to ask them

uhm... the help line may be???

 

[redslert]

nah it isn't the help line
board of studies has people working there everyday to answer questions from teachers, i'm guessing this not 100% sure, i think it's for teachers, not students

 

[Constip8edSkunk]

haha special backdoor connections....