E. W. Morley refers to Edward Williams Morley, an American physicist and chemist. He was born on January 29, 1838, in Newark, Ohio, and died on February 24, 1923, in West Hartford, Connecticut. Morley is best known for his groundbreaking collaborations with Albert A. Michelson to measure the speed of light more precisely and to detect the presence, or absence, of the hypothetical "luminiferous aether" through the Michelson-Morley experiment.
Morley attended Western Reserve College (now known as Case Western Reserve University) before studying at Berlin University and the University of Heidelberg in Germany. Upon returning to the United States, he served as a faculty member at Adelbert College, Hiram College, and Western Reserve University.
The Michelson-Morley experiment, conducted in 1887, attempted to measure the relative motion of the Earth through the aether by splitting a beam of light and measuring the difference in its path when traveling in different directions. The outcome of their experiment, which yielded a null result, posed a significant challenge to the prevailing theory at the time and ultimately contributed to the development of Einstein's theory of relativity.
In addition to his work on the Michelson-Morley experiment, Morley also made substantial contributions to the field of chemistry, particularly in the area of atomic weights determination. His meticulous experimental techniques played a pivotal role in advancing the understanding of chemistry during his time.
Overall, E. W. Morley was an influential figure in the fields of physics and chemistry, remembered primarily for his collaboration with Albert A. Michelson and their groundbreaking experiments that led to significant advances in measuring the speed of light and furthering the field of modern physics.
