Ether Ether everywhere.

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In summary, the concept of Ether was proposed as a material medium for the travel of electromagnetic waves, as it was believed that a particle medium is required for their existence. The special properties of the Ether were thought to explain the odd fact that em waves still propagated in a vacuum. However, Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity and the Michelson-Morley experiment disproved the existence of an absolute frame of reference for the Ether. This does not completely eliminate the concept of the Ether, but rather views it as any particle medium and suggests that the vacuum in labs may not be a true vacuum, but composed of tiny "ether particles".
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saiarun
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It is known that the concept of Ether was present in the whole of the Universe was started by Maxwell for representing the material medium for the travel of the electromagnetic waves.
Question 1: Why Ether and not any other substance i.e., what are the special properties of the Ether?
Question 2: How Einstein`s basic assumption in the Special theory of Relativity proved that if Ether exist it should in Absolute frame of Reference (theoretically) and was disproved by Michelson and Morley(experimentally)?
Thanking you in advance.
 
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1. Wave motion is the composite motion of particles, thus for em waves to exist,
a particle medium is required to carry them. The Ether was proposed as such a medium. Why the Ether if so many atoms are available to carry em wave motion? Probably to explain the odd fact that when they created a "vacuum" in a lab, em waves still propagated. So their "Ether" can be thought of as a particle medium whose particles are so small that lab techniques could mistake it as a vacuum.

2. The ether, if it existed, should behave like a pool of water inside a 747. The pool of water would seem motionless and when a nickel dropped in it, the ripples emanating spherically outward, just like a nickel dropped in a pool in someone's backyard. In other words, the Ether in which the MM experiment was carried out is stationary with the Earth so that you couldn't detect any "Ether" winds. Einstein's Special Relativity and the MM experiment then did not disprove the existence of an Ether but only that if there was, the Earth and other masses carry their own Ether so that you can't tell your motion through it because it is stationary relative to you. Stationary however is very different from being superfluous, which was what many believers in SR called it. The Mayflower stationary in a still Atlantic Ocean for example does not make the Atlantic Ocean superfluous. Nor does a Honda Civic stopped at a traffic light make the "stationary" pavement beneath it superfluous.

A more correct way to describe the Ether then is that it is any particle medium and an alternative way of interpreting em waves' propagation through a vacuum, to make it consistent with the notion of wave motion being a composite of particle motion, is that the vacuum generated in labs is not a true vacuum but are composed of tiny "ether particles".
 
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1. What is ether?

Ether is a type of chemical compound that is commonly used as a solvent, anesthetic, and fuel in various industries. It is also known as diethyl ether or ethoxyethane.

2. Where is ether found?

Ether can be found naturally in small amounts in certain plants, but it is primarily produced through chemical synthesis in laboratories.

3. How is ether used in science?

Ether has many scientific applications, including as a solvent for extracting compounds from plant and animal tissues, as a preservative for biological samples, and as an anesthetic for surgeries.

4. Is ether dangerous?

Ether can be dangerous if not handled properly. It is highly flammable and can form explosive mixtures with air. It can also cause skin and eye irritation and may have harmful effects on the respiratory system.

5. Can ether be replaced by other chemicals?

While ether has many useful properties, it is being replaced by other chemicals in some applications due to its flammability and potential health risks. For example, modern anesthetics such as halothane and isoflurane are considered safer alternatives to ether.

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