near six o’clock in the evening. The readings are divisions of the screw-heads. The width of the fringes varied from 40 to 60 divisions, the mean value being near 50, so that one division means 0.02 wave-length. The rotation in the observations at noon was contrary to, and in the evening observations, in the same direction as, that of the hands of a watch.
Noon Observations.
|
16. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
7. |
8. | |
|
July 8............ |
44.7 |
44.0 |
43.5 |
39.7 |
35.2 |
34.7 |
34.3 |
32.5 |
28.2 |
|
July 9............ |
57.4 |
57.3 |
58.2 |
59.2 |
58.7 |
60.2 |
60.8 |
62.0 |
61.5 |
|
July 11 ......... |
27.3 |
23.5 |
22.0 |
19.3 |
19.2 |
19.3 |
18.7 |
18.8 |
16.2 |
|
Mean ............ |
43.1 |
41.6 |
41.2 |
39.4 |
37.7 |
38.1 |
37.9 |
37.8 |
35.3 |
|
Mean in w.l.... |
0.862 |
0.832 |
0.824 |
0.788 |
0.754 |
0.762 |
0.758 |
0.756 |
0.706 |
|
0.706 |
0.692 |
0.686 |
0.688 |
0.688 |
0.678 |
0.672 |
0.628 |
0.616 | |
|
9. |
10. |
11. |
12. |
13. |
14. |
15. |
16. | |
|
July 8 ............ |
26.2 |
23.8 |
23.2 |
20.3 |
18.7 |
17.5 |
16.8 |
13.7 |
|
July 9 ............ |
63.3 |
65.8 |
67.3 |
69.7 |
70.7 |
73.0 |
70.2 |
72.2 |
|
July 11............ |
14.3 |
13.3 |
12.8 |
13.3 |
12.3 |
10.2 |
7.3 |
6.5 |
|
Mean............... |
34.6 |
34.3 |
34.4 |
34.4 |
33.9 |
33.6 |
31.4 |
30.8 |
|
Mean in w.l....... |
0.692 |
0.686 |
0.688 |
0.688 |
0.678 |
0.672 |
0.628 |
0.616 |
|
Final mean ...... |
... |
... |
... |
P.M. Observations.
|
16. |
1. |
2. |
3. |
4. |
5. |
6. |
7. |
8. | |
|
July 8 ..... |
61.2 |
63.3 |
63.3 |
68.2 |
67.7 |
69.3 |
70.3 |
69.8 |
69.0 |
|
July 9 ..... |
26.0 |
26.0 |
28.2 |
29.2 |
31.5 |
32.0 |
31.3 |
31.7 |
33.0 |
|
July 12 |
66.8 |
66.5 |
66.0 |
64.3 |
62.2 |
61.0 |
61.3 |
59.7 |
58.2 |
|
Mean......... |
51.3 |
51.9 |
52.5 |
53.9 |
53.8 |
54.1 |
54.3 |
53.7 |
53.4 |
|
Mean in w.l. |
1.026 |
1.038 |
1.050 |
1.078 |
1.076 |
1.082 |
1.086 |
1.074 |
1.068 |
|
1.068 |
1.086 |
1.076 |
1.084 |
1.100 |
1.136 |
1.144 |
1.154 |
1.172 | |
|
Final mean . |
1.047 |
1.062 |
1.063 |
1.081 |
1.088 |
1.109 |
1.115 |
1.114 |
1.120 |
|
9. |
10. |
11. |
12. |
13. |
14. |
15. |
16. | |
|
July 8 ............ |
71.3 |
71.3 |
70.5 |
71.2 |
71.2 |
70.5 |
72.5 |
75.7 |
|
July 9 ........... |
35.8 |
36.5 |
37.3 |
38.8 |
410 |
42.7 |
43.7 |
440 |
|
July 12............ |
55.7 |
53.7 |
54.7 |
55.0 |
58.2 |
58.5 |
57.0 |
56.0 |
|
Mean............... |
54.3 |
53.8 |
54.2 |
55.0 |
56.8 |
57.2 |
57.7 |
58.6 |
|
Mean in w.l....... |
1.086 |
1.076 |
1.084 |
1.100 |
1.136 |
1.144 |
1.154 |
1.172 |
|
Final mean ...... |
... |
... |
... |
... |
The results of the observations are expressed graphically in fig. 6. The upper is the curve for the observations at noon, and the lower that for the evening observations. The dotted curves represent one eighth of the theoretical displacements. It seems fair to conclude from the figure that if there is any
Fig. 6.
displacement due to the relative motion of the earth and the luminiferous æther, this cannot be much greater than 0.01 of the distance between the fringes.
Considering the motion of the earth in its orbit only, this displacement should be
The distance D was about eleven metres, or 2 × 107 wavelengths of yellow light ; hence the displacement to be expected was 0.4 fringe. The actual displacement was certainly less than the twentieth part of this, and probably less than the fortieth part. But since the displacement is proportional to the square of the velocity, the relative velocity of the earth and the æther is probably less than one sixth the earth’s orbital velocity, and certainly less than one fourth.
In what precedes, only the orbital motion of the earth is considered. If this is combined with the motion of the solar system, concerning which but little is known with certainty, the result would have to be modified ; and it is just possible that the resultant velocity at the time of the observations was small, though the chances are much against it. The experiment will therefore be repeated at intervals of three months, and thus all uncertainty will be avoided.
It appears from all that precedes reasonably certain that if there be any relative motion between the earth and the lumi-
