Creativity and Technology in Experimentation: Fizeau's Terrestrial Determination of the Speed of Light

Author(s): Frercks, Jan
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Article: Centaurus 43 (2001), pp. 260-277. , Blackwell Publishing
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Abstract:: Hippolyte Fizeau was the first to measure the speed of light in 1849 over a terrestrial distance, substituting lengthy astronomical observations with a sophisticated set of apparatus. The fundamental ideas of this experiment are well known, while the practical realization achieved by Fizeau in only six months is not. I will present a close examination of this process of implementing a new experimental method, based not only on the scarce published material but also on a collection of manuscript papers, which had not been examined before, as well as my own experiences with a replication of the experiment. I will argue that Fizeau employed two substantially different ways of implementing his experimental ideas, leading to an apparatus which allows quite precise determinations if appropriate measuring methods are invented to cope with difficulties. The replication and the consideration of the scientific context suggest a new appraisal of Fizeau's results, his intentions, and the reasons for starting the experiment in the first place.
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ISSN: 0008-8994