michelson: Results from Michelson's determination of the velocity of light in air.
Description
These data are actually measurements obtained
by Michelson between June 5, 1879, and July
2, 1879. The data are in km/sec if 299000 is added
to each value. Working backwards from the current
`true value' of the velocity of light in vacuum
(299,792.5 km/sec) and using Michelson's own
adjustment for the effect of air, the comparable
`true value' for these data is 734.5 (considerably
smaller than the actual measurements). Michelson
used a modification of Foucault's 1850 experimental
method which consisted of passing light from a source
off a rapidly rotating mirror to a distant fixed
mirror, and back to the rotating mirror. Presumably
the five sets of 20 measurements are in time sequence.
From Stigler (1977 Annals of Statistics, p.1073-1076,
Table 6).