Table of Contents
millikans-oil-drop-experiment
The Millikan oil-drop experiment was a scientific experiment performed by Robert Millikan in 1909 to measure the electric charge of a single electron. A beam of oil droplets was passed through an electric field and the voltage needed to keep the droplets in flight was measured. From this data, Millikan was able to calculate the charge of an electron.
Principles of Millikan’s Experiment
Millikan’s experiment was designed to measure the charge on an electron. A small amount of oil was placed between two metal plates. The oil was then subjected to a small electric current. Some of the oil was forced away from the plates. The oil droplets that were created were then allowed to fall through an electric field. The electric field caused the droplets to gain or lose electrons. The amount of charge that was gained or lost was measured. Millikan was able to use this information to calculate the charge on an electron.
Oil Drop Experiment
The oil drop experiment is a scientific experiment that was first performed by Robert Brown in 1827. The experiment involves observing the movement of oil droplets in a liquid.
In the experiment, a small amount of oil is placed in a container of water. The oil droplets will then slowly rise to the surface of the water. The rate at which the droplets rise is affected by the density of the oil, the surface tension of the water, and the viscosity of the water.
Apparatus
An apparatus is a collection of tools, equipment, or other physical objects used for a specific purpose. In science, an apparatus is often a device that is used to perform a specific task in an experiment. For example, in a chemistry lab, an apparatus might be a collection of glassware and chemicals used to perform a chemical reaction.
Millikan Oil Drop Experiment Calculations
The following calculations were used to determine the charge of an oil droplet in the Millikan oil drop experiment.
The electric field between the plates was set to 1.6 x 106 N/C.
The plates were 1.5 cm apart.
The mass of an oil droplet was found to be 1.653 x 10-9 kg.
The charge of an oil droplet was found to be 1.602 x 10-19 C.
Importance of Millikan’s Oil Drop Experiment
The Millikan oil drop experiment was important because it helped to determine the charge of an electron. This was done by measuring the electric field strength needed to stop successive oil drops from falling.
