Toward the question: Can we detect absolute motion
According to Galileo, Newton all motion is relative
- Also our common sense – examples ……
- But waves present another possibility All waves known by physicists in 1800’s traveled through some medium at a fixed speed in that medium
- Sound waves in air (around 340 m/s)
- Waves on a string (depends on string) Waves on water
- An experiment can detect motion relative to this medium