Albert A. Michelson. The Relative Motion of the Earth and the Luminiferous Ether // American Journal of Science, 1881, 22: Page 126

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others the springing of the tin lantern by heating) the fringes would suddenly change their position, in which case the series of observations was rejected and a new series begun.

In making the adjustment before the third series of observations, the direction in which the fringes moved, on moving the glass plate 5, was reversed, so that the displacement m the third and fourth series are to be taken with the opposite sign.

At the end of each series the support was turned 90°, and the axis was carefully adjusted to the vertical by means of the foot-screws and a spirit level.

N.

N.E.

E.

S.E.

S.

S.W.

W.

NW.

Remarks.

1st revolution 2d “

3d “

4th

5th “

0-0

16*0

17-0

15-0

135

0*0

16*0

17*0

15*0

13*5

0*0

16*0

17*0

15*0

13*5

-8*0

9*0

10*0

8*0

5*0

-1*0

16*0

17*0

14*5

12*0

—1*0

16*0

160

14*5

13*0

-2*0

15*0

16*0

14*5

13*0

-3*0

13*0

17*0

14*0

13*0

Series 1, footscrew marked B, toward East.

S.

61*5

58*5

61*5

W.

61*5

56*5

X

58*5

N.E

58*5

61*5

56*5

S.E.

54*0

60*0

120*0

118*0

118*0

120*0

114*0

114*0

Excess,

+ 2-0

+ 6*0

1st revolution 2d “

3d “

4 th “

5th

lO'O

16*0

17*5

17*5

17*0

11*0

16*0

17*5

17*5

17*0

12*0 16 0 17*5 17*0 17*0

13*0

17-0

17*5

17*0

170

13*0

17*0

17*5

17*0

16*0

0*0

2*0!

4*0j

4*0|

30!

14*0

17*0

18*0

17*0

16*0

15*0

17*0

17*5

17*0

16*0

Serie3 2, B toward South.

S.

78*0

80*5

79*0

W.

79*5

82*0

81*5

80*5

N.E.

£ i 82*0 79*0i S.E.

82*5

81*5

158*5

161*5

161*5

160*0! 164 0]

164*0

Excess,

—3*0

i

-4*0*

1st revolution 2d “

3d “

4th “

5th

3*0

18*0

11*0

1*0

4*0

3*0

17*5

11*0

0*0

4*0

3*0

17*5

13*0

0*5

5-0

3*0

18*0

12*0

0*5

5*0

2*5

18*5

13*0

0*5

5*0

2*5

19*0

13*5

0*0

5*5

2*5

19*5

13*5

0:0

5*5

10*0

26*0

21*0

14*0

16*0

Series 3. B toward West.

S.

37*0

39*5

35*5

TV.

39*0

41*0

38*5

39*5

N.E.

40*5

35*5

71*0-

SE.

X

38*5

76*5

80*0 76 5

76*0

79*5

76*0

Excess,

+ 3*5

+ 3*5

1st revolution 2d “

3d

4th

5th “

14*0

10*0

14*0

18*0

15*0

21*0

20*0

25*0

27*0

24*0

15*5

12*0

15*0

18*5

15*0

17*0

12*0

16*0

18*5

15*0

14-0

13*0

160

18*5

15*0

14*5

13*0

160

19*0

16*0

14*5

13*0

16*0

20*0

16*0

16*0

13*5

17*0

21*0

16*5

Scries 4, B toward North.

. S.

71*0

76*5

X

W.

76*0

79*5

78*5

76 5 N.E.

78*5

73*5

79*5

S*E.

84*0 7 8*5

147^

155*5

147*5

152*0

162*5

152*0

Excess,

+ 8*0

-

+ 10*5

The heading of the columns in the table gives the direction toward which the telescope pointed.

The footing of the erroneous column is marked x) and in the calculations the mean of the two adjacent footings is substituted.

The numbers in the columns are the positions of the center of the dark fringe in twelfths of the distance between the fringes.

In the first two series, when the footings of the columns N. and S. exceed those of columns.E. and W., the excess is called positive. The excess of the footings of N.E., S.W., over tbose of N.W., S.E., are also called positive. In the third and fourth series this is reversed.

The numbers marked “ excess” are the sums of ten observations. Dividing therefore by I0f to obtain the mean, and also by 12 (since the numbers are twelfths of the distance between the frinees\ we find for

N.S.

N.E., S.W.

Series 1.........

+ 0*017

+ 0*050

' “ 2.........

-0*025

-0*033

“ 3_________

+ 0*030

+ 0*030

“ 4.........

____+ 0*067

+ 0*087

4J 0*089

0*137

Mean =

+ 0*022

+ 0*034

The displacement is, therefore,

In favor of the columns 1T.S_________________+ 0'022

“ “ “ N.B., S.'W............+0-034

The former is too small to be considered-as showing a displacement due to the simple change in direction, and the latter should have been zero.

The numbers are simply outstanding errors of experiment. It is, in fact, to be seen from the footings of the columns, that the numbers increase (or decrease) with more or less regularity from left to right.

This gradual change, which should not in the least affect the periodic variation for which we are searching, would of itself necessitate an outstanding error, simply because the sum of the two columns farther to the left must be less (or greater) than the sum of those farther to the right.

This view is amply confirmed by the fact that where the excess is positive for the column N.S., it is also positive for N.E., S.W.7 and where negative, negative. If, therefore, we can eliminate this gradual change, we may expect a much smaller error. This is most readily accomplished as follows:

Adding together all the footings of the four series, the third and fourth with negative sign, we obtain

N.

N.E.

E.

S.K.

S.

S.W.

W.

N.W.

31-5

31-5

.26-0

24-5

23-0

20*8

18*0

11*0



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