8 8 1 ) ▁tried ▁to ▁measure ▁the ▁relative ▁motion ▁of ▁the ▁Earth ▁and ▁a ether ▁( A ether - W ind ), ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁expected ▁in ▁F res nel ' s ▁theory , ▁by ▁using ▁an ▁inter fer ometer . ▁He ▁could ▁not ▁determine ▁any ▁relative ▁motion , ▁so ▁he ▁interpreted ▁the ▁result ▁as ▁a ▁confirm ation ▁of ▁the ▁th esis ▁of ▁Sto kes . ▁However , ▁Lor ent z ▁( 1 8 8 6 ) ▁showed ▁Michel son ' s ▁calculations ▁were ▁wrong ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁over est im ated ▁the ▁accuracy ▁of ▁the ▁measurement . ▁This , ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁large ▁margin ▁of ▁error , ▁made ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁Michel son ' s ▁experiment ▁incon clus ive . ▁In ▁addition , ▁Lor ent z ▁showed ▁that ▁Sto kes ' ▁completely ▁drag ged ▁a ether ▁led ▁to ▁contradict ory ▁consequences , ▁and ▁therefore ▁he ▁supported ▁an ▁a ether ▁theory ▁similar ▁to ▁F res nel ' s . ▁To ▁check ▁F res nel ' s ▁theory ▁again , ▁Michel son ▁and ▁Edward ▁W . ▁Mor ley ▁( 1 8 8 6 ) ▁performed ▁a ▁repet ition ▁of ▁the ▁F ize au ▁experiment . ▁F res nel ' s ▁drag ging ▁coefficient ▁was ▁confirmed ▁very ▁exactly ▁on ▁that ▁occasion , ▁and ▁Michel son ▁was ▁now ▁of ▁the ▁opinion ▁that ▁F res nel ' s ▁station ary ▁a ether ▁theory ▁was ▁correct . ▁To ▁clarify ▁the ▁situation , ▁Michel son ▁and ▁Mor ley ▁( 1 8 8 7 ) ▁repeated ▁Michel son