Question

A spaceship moving at a speed of 0.6c is transporting a Michelson-Morley apparatus that uses 5 GHz radio waves. The two interferometer arms are parallel to and perpendicular to the spaceship’s direction of motion and both arms have reflectors an identical distance d apart. (a) (7 pts) If the ether theory is correct, for what value of d (if any) will two radio waves emitted at the same time into each arm return ½ wavelength out of phase? (b) (3 pts) If Special Relativity is correct, for what value of d (if any) will two radio waves emitted at the same time into each arm return ½ wavelength out of phase?

Answer 1