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Why Michelson used octagonal mirror in determining speed of light?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
If he had used an ordinary mirror he would only get one reflection per revolution, and since the light travels so fast his motor speed would have to be impossibly high. So he put 8 mirrors on the spindle and the rotational speed then needed to be only 1/8 of that for a single mirror.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
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What is a smooth surface that reflects light to form an image?
This could be a basic definition of a mirror.
Why does a mirror and a leaf reflect light differently?
Light is reflected of metal when it is polished and flat because it is very light and lighter colors reflect light whereas darker colors such as green suck the colors in.
Can you still see through a light coat of mirror paint?
Well, If it is called "Mirror Paint" I'm pretty sure that you can put it on there, if normal paint then i would recommend painting the frame instead of the mirror there is Glass Paint which i recommend you use instead.
What instrument bends light?
Mirror (uses reflection principle), transparent glass sheet (uses refraction principle),etc are the instruments which are used to bend light.
What does a mirror do in a camera?
The mirror is part of the viewing/focusing mechanism. In an SLR with a pentaprism or similar means of getting the light from the lens to the eyepiece, the light coming through the lens has to be redirected vertically up, and then redirected horizontally out, to the back of the camera. The mirror is used as the first means of diversion because it is directly behind the lens and also may provide some or all of the blockage between the lens and the film or sensor. (some SLRs may have no focal plane shutter just a mirror, that flips up for the amount of time that the shutter speed is set). In a rangefinder camera if it is a mirror assembly then the mirror picks up a second image through a second port that is then redirected by the mirror to the main eyepiece viewer, and focusing is based on adjusting the secondary image that is superimposed on the main eyepiece viewer. SLRs can have a combination of such a "split image" as well as soft-to-sharp focus system but again it is direct through the lens.
How did a spinning octagonal mirror help michelson calculate the time that light took to make the round trip to the distact mountain?
He adjusted the mirror so that the beam of light would reflect back into his lens. As the mirror was spinning around (1/8 of rotation) it shot short burst of light off the mountain mirror and into the spinning octagonal mirror, helping him calculate speed of light at around 300,000 km/s.
If the octagonal mirror in the Michelson apparatus were spun at twice the speed the produced light in the eyepiece would light still be seen At 2.1 times the speed why?
No becuase it is going to fast.... Im not sure if that is right though
Why AA michelson's experiment to find the speed of light is called a null method?
because no one succeeded in determining the speed of light
What is the equation calculating speed?
speed = distance/time --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- you calculate speed by the equation m/sec or cm/sec. This means that you would divide the distance by the time it took. Actually to measure the speed of light is an interesting and intelligent task done by the scientists. Because the speed of light is 300,000 km in one second which is actually incredible. Out of all those, Michelson's rotating octagonal mirror method is very important. In his experiment the equation to calculate the speed of light is speed of light = N n D. Here N = 8 as octagonal rotor is used. n - the number of rotations made by the rotor in one second. D - the total distance travelled by light. Michelson did this experiment keeping the observatory on one mountain, Mt.Wilson and a reflector on another mountain, Mt. Antonio separated by some 35 km.
What was the light theory by Alberta Michelson?
The theory, at the time of Michelson and Morley, was that light propagated through a hypothetical medium called the "aether". The Michelson-Morley experiment basically disproved some of the ideas about light that were common at that time.
Who is Albert michelson?
Albert Michelson was the first American to win a Nobel Prize for measuring the speed of light.
What is Michelson famous for?
he discovered the speed of light
The mirror of Michelson interferometer is moved a length equal to the wavelength of incident light Find the shift in fringes?
two fringes .... since each half a wavelength distance corresponds to a fringe change!
How was the speed of light derived?
Michelson had light source on a mountain that he pulsed using a rotating mirror. Far away, on another mountain a fixed mirror returned his pulses to him. By comparing the transit time he came up with a close number. As equipment( esp. the timing mechanism) improved so did the number.
What was Albert michelson invention of speed of light?
A. A. Michelson was not interested in measuring the speed of light.He only measured how it changes if you move toward the light, awayfrom it, or sideways. (It doesn't.)
How did Amercian physicist Albert Michelson measure the speed of light?
A. A. Michelson was not interested in measuring the speed of light.He only measured how it changes if you move toward the light, awayfrom it, or sideways. (It doesn't.)
How did the failure of the Michelson-Morley experiment change scientific theories of light?
The results of the Michelson-Morley experiment did not fit the theory of the luminiferous ether, so the theory had to be rejected.
