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ether
ether or aether, in physics and astronomy, a hypothetical medium for transmitting light and heat (radiation), filling all unoccupied space; it is also called luminiferous ether. In Newtonian physics all waves are propagated through a medium, e.g., water waves through water, sound waves through air. When James Clerk Maxwell developed his electromagnetic theory of light, Newtonian physicists postulated ether as the medium that transmitted electromagnetic waves. Ether was held to be invisible, without odor, and of such a nature that it did not interfere with the motions of bodies through space. The concept was intended to connect the Newtonian mechanistic wave theory with Maxwell's field theory. However, all attempts to demonstrate its existence, most notably the Michelson-Morley experiment of 1887, produced negative results and stimulated a vigorous debate among physicists that was not ended until the special theory of relativity , proposed by Albert Einstein in 1905, became accepted. The theory of relativity eliminated the need for a light-transmitting medium, so that today the term ether is used only in a historical context. |
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"ether." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "ether." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-ether-phy.html "ether." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-ether-phy.html |
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ether
ether A hypothetical medium once thought to permeate all space, through which electromagnetic radiation supposedly travelled; formerly spelt aether. On the basis of this supposition, the Earth should move with respect to the ether, and it was predicted that the speed of light would vary when measured in different directions. Experiments in the 19th century (e.g. the Michelson–Morley experiment) failed to detect any such variation in speed. The ether is now regarded as unnecessary, since it is recognized that electromagnetic radiation can propagate through empty space.
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"ether." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "ether." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-ether.html "ether." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-ether.html |
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