Various significant experiments in the history of physics. Each experiment has played a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the universe, from the fundamental forces of nature to the nature of matter and energy. By exploring these experiments, we can gain insights into the scientific process, the evolution of physical theories, and the technological advancements that have driven human progress.
The experiments listed cover a wide range of topics, including classical mechanics, electromagnetism, relativity, quantum mechanics, and particle physics. Some of the most notable experiments include the Cavendish experiment, which measured the force of gravity; the Michelson-Morley experiment, which challenged the concept of the ether; and the double-slit experiment, which demonstrated the wave-particle duality of light.
The Cavendish experiment This 1797-1798 experiment measured the force of gravity between masses in the laboratory.
Michael Faraday Ice Pail This 1831 demonstration of induced electric charges using an “ice pail” to show charges gathered on a surface.
Double Slit Experiment Thomas Young’s 1801 experiment suggesting EM energy exhibits characteristics of particles and waves.
Faraday Rotation In 185 Faraday observed the change in polarization of light as it passes through a magnetic field.
Fizeau’s Experiment A 1849 experiment measuring the speed of light in a moving medium relative to the source and observer.
Michelson Morley A groundbreaking experiment in 1887 using an interferometer to detect/disprove the hypothetical “ether wind.”
Planck’s Constant Planck’s 1900 experiment discovered energy existed in packets or quanta.
Millikan Oil Drop A 1909 experiment to measure the elementary electric charge using oil droplets.
Franck-Hertz Their 1914 experiment provided key empirical support for the quantum theory of atoms.
Eddington This 1919 experiment was a breakthrough in the proof of relativity. It opened the door the idea that energy was subject to gravity.
Stern-Gerlack A 1922 experiment demonstrated the quantization angular momentum of spin states.
Anderson Anti-matter Anderson’s 1932 discovery of the positron, the antimatter counterpart of the electron.
Pound-Rebka Robert Pound and Glen A. Rebka Jr.’s 1959 experiment measuring the color shift of light in a gravitational field.
Shapiro Delay Irwin Shapiro’s 1964 experiment demonstrating predictable delays in radar signals sent close to planetary bodies.
The Hafele-Keating Experiment A 1971 experiment testing time dilation in special relativity by flying atomic clocks around the world.
LIGO The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory offered the first direct detection of gravitational waves.
OPERA The Oscillation Project with Emulsion-Racking Apparatus’s 2011 investigation of tau neutrinos.
Electron Symmetry 2011’s precise measurement of the electron’s shape, revealing it to be almost a perfect sphere.
JILA – Atomic clock The JILA experiment in 2022 using atomic clocks to detect minute gravitational effects.
Reflectionless Scattering Modes (RSM) Ongoing experiments exploring energy areas to develop an understanding of Quantum Admittance (QA)
Light Slowed Down by 10,000 New experiments slow light by changing energy density and phase twisting support Quantum Admittance (QA)