248 DOC.
21
THEORY OF RELATIVITY
of the
liquid2
in accordance with the formula
V
-
V0 =
v
1
-
1
n
This result entails that the
hypothesis according
to
which the luminiferous ether
simply
takes
part
in
the motions of
matter
is untenable. The indicated
formula
implies
the
interesting consequence
that
a
liquid
that would leave the
light
unrefracted
(n
=
1)
would
not
affect the
propagation
of the
light traversing
it
even
if the
liquid
would
be in motion.
The
"Stationary
Ether"
Theory
of
H. A.
Lorentz
[6]
The
next-simplest hypothesis
is
that the luminiferous ether does
not
participate
at
all
in
the motions of
matter
(hypothesis
of the
"stationary" ether).
H. A.
Lorentz made
this
hypothesis
the basis for
a
theory
of
electromagnetic
and
optical phenomena
that
not only yielded
the indicated results of Fizeau's
experiment quite naturally,
but also
did
justice
to all
other
empirical
results of
the
electromagnetics
and
optics
of
moving
bodies.
According
to
this
theory,
the
electromagnetic
laws of the ether
are
indepen-
dent of the
state
of motion of
matter.
Matter interacts with the
ether
only
in
the
sense
that
matter is to
be conceived
as
the carrier of electric
masses,
the motions of which
[7] are produced
and influenced
by
electromagnetic processes
in
the ether
(cf.
Article
15).
There
was no
doubt
among physicists
that
Lorentz's
theory
(the
theory
of the
stationary
luminiferous
ether)
must
contain
a
significant
amount
of truth.
However,
this
theory
had
one
aspect
that could
not
fail
to
arouse
the
physicists' suspicion.
This
shall be
explained presently.
The
Relativity Principle
It
is
an age-old
observation,
which has
invariably proved
correct
so
far,
that
physical
phenomena depend only
on
the motions of bodies relative
to
each
other,
that from
the
physical standpoint
absolute motion does
not exist.
We shall
specify
this
characteristic of
physical experience
somewhat
more precisely
still.
Wherever
spatial
determinations
play
a
role in
physics, they always
represent
determinations
concerning
the relative
position
of
some
object
or
marker relative
to
a
solid
body.
We
n
=
velocity
of
light
in
vacuum
velocity
of
light
in
the medium
2
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