Experimental Determination of the Velocity of Light Made at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis

"Experimental Determination of the Velocity of Light" by Albert A. Michelson is a scientific work from the late 1800s that explains Michelson's important experiments at the U.S. Naval Academy to accurately measure how fast light travels. This book is a key piece in physics history because it helped set the stage for later studies of light. Michelson explains his experiment, using a special mirror system and careful measurements between mirrors set 1986.23 feet apart. After many tests and fixing mistakes, he figured out that light moves at about 299,940 kilometers per second. Michelson also talks about problems he faced, like weather and tool accuracy. His careful method shows how physics was becoming more precise and helped everyone better understand just how fast light really is.