Why ether proves speed of light?

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In summary: Maxwell's equations still worked in every inertial reference frame, provided that the speed of light was constant.
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Oerg
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When Einstein conducted thought experiments, he imagined himself moving at the speed of light with a mirror in front. He was later forced to discard the idea of ether and he concluded that light must travel at the speed of light regardless of wherever and whatever speed an observer is moving.

My question is: How does discarding the idea of ether make him conclude the constancy of the speed of light?
 
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  • #2
Oerg said:
When Einstein conducted thought experiments, he imagined himself moving at the speed of light with a mirror in front. He was later forced to discard the idea of ether and he concluded that light must travel at the speed of light regardless of wherever and whatever speed an observer is moving.

My question is: How does discarding the idea of ether make him conclude the constancy of the speed of light?

He believed Maxwell's electromagnetic theory, and without an ether, that theory says c is constant.
 
  • #3
If you were to detect a change in the speed of light, you would be detecting the ether. Think about this for a few moments. Imagine waves rippling on the surface of a pond, if you start moving then the speed of the waves will change relative to you. The idea is the same.
 
  • #4
The ether theory predicted that Maxwell's laws would only work exactly in a single inertial reference frame, the rest frame of the ether. In other frames the equations governing electromagnetism would look different, according to the ether theory. Einstein discarded this idea, and tried to see how things would have to work in order for Maxwell's laws to work exactly in every inertial reference frame.
 
  • #5
Oerg said:
My question is: How does discarding the idea of ether make him conclude the constancy of the speed of light?

It was the other way. Assuming that the speed of light is constant, together with the fact that in Maxwell´s equations any movement relative to an ether does´t have any observable consequences, he concluded that the concept of an ether was no longer needed.
 
  • #6
Quite right Ich - no longer needed - but not necessarily obviated
 

1. What is ether and how does it relate to the speed of light?

Ether is a theoretical substance that was once believed to fill all space and serve as the medium through which light traveled. It was believed that light waves moved through the ether and that its properties would affect the speed of light.

2. How did scientists prove that ether was not the medium for light?

In the late 19th and early 20th century, a series of experiments, such as the Michelson-Morley experiment, were conducted to measure the speed of light in different directions. These experiments consistently showed that the speed of light was constant, regardless of the direction of measurement, disproving the existence of ether.

3. Why is the speed of light considered a fundamental constant?

The speed of light, denoted as c, is considered a fundamental constant because it is the maximum speed at which all matter and information in the universe can travel. This means that nothing can move faster than the speed of light, making it a fundamental limit in our understanding of the universe.

4. How does the theory of relativity support the constant speed of light?

Albert Einstein's theory of relativity states that the laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion. This theory explains that the speed of light is constant for all observers, regardless of their relative velocities, and is not affected by the presence or absence of ether.

5. How does the absence of ether impact our understanding of the universe?

The absence of ether has greatly influenced our understanding of the universe. It led to the development of Einstein's theory of relativity, which revolutionized our understanding of time, space, and gravity. It also paved the way for modern physics and cosmology, allowing for the development of theories such as the Big Bang and the expanding universe.

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