In one of Michelson's experiments, a beam from a revolving mirror traveled 10 km to a stationary mirror. How long a time interval elapsed before the beam returned to the mirror?
time= distance/velocity light= 2OE3meters/3E8m/s
To find the time interval that elapsed before the beam returned to the mirror in Michelson's experiment, we can use the formula:
Time = 2 * Distance / Speed
Given that the beam traveled a distance of 10 km, we need to determine the speed of the beam. In this experiment, the beam comes from a revolving mirror, indicating that the speed of the beam is the speed of light.
The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 299,792 kilometers per second (km/s).
Now, using the formula:
Time = 2 * Distance / Speed
= 2 * 10 km / 299,792 km/s
Calculating this expression, we get:
Time = 0.00006677 seconds
Therefore, the time interval that elapsed before the beam returned to the mirror in Michelson's experiment is approximately 0.00006677 seconds.