The small oil drops would pick up some unknown number of electrons due to friction between the oil and the nozzle. These oil drops were sprayed between two oppositely charged parallel plates. Light shined upon the oil drops from the side caused them to show up like little stars when looking through a microscope used to view the region between the plates. The weight of an oil drop could be calculated by using the terminal velocity of the freely falling oil drop and the formula for terminal velocity of a sphere. Once the weight was determined, the voltage across the plates could be adjusted until the upward electric force exactly cancelled out the weight of the oil drop. When the exact balance was reached, the oil drop would remain suspended between the plates.
when did Millikan conduct his famous oil drop experiment
Millikan discovered that electrons had a negative charge using his Oil Drop experiment.
The significance of the oil drop of radius in Millikan's experiment was that it allowed him to determine the charge of an electron, which was a crucial step in understanding the fundamental properties of matter. By measuring the radius of the oil drop and the electric field applied, Millikan was able to calculate the charge of the electron, providing important insights into the structure of atoms and the nature of electricity.
The Millikan oil drop experiment was conducted by Robert Millikan in 1909 to determine the charge of an electron. By observing the motion of oil droplets in an electric field, he was able to calculate the charge on individual droplets and, using this data, determine the charge of a single electron. This experiment provided a more accurate value for the electron's charge and contributed to the development of modern physics.
Robert Millikan discovered the change of electron using the oil drop experiment in 1909. He was able to measure the charge of an electron accurately using this method.
Millikan was able to quantitate the elementary electric charge using his oil drop experiment. By measuring the forces acting on the oil drops in the electric field, he could determine the charge on each drop and eventually calculate the charge of a single electron.
The charge of the electron
Millikan used the oil drop experiment to measure the charge of an electron.
For the oil drop experiment conducted by Robert Millikan in 1909, he used a type of oil called mineral oil. By using mineral oil with a very low vapor pressure, Millikan was able to observe and measure the behavior of oil droplets in an electric field.
The Millikan oil drop experiment was conducted by Robert Millikan in 1909 to measure the elementary electric charge (the charge of a single electron). In the experiment, tiny oil droplets were suspended in a chamber between two charged plates. By carefully controlling the electric field, Millikan was able to measure the charge on each droplet and determine the charge of a single electron. This experiment provided important evidence for the quantization of electric charge and contributed to the development of modern atomic theory.
Millikan's oil drop experiment determined the charge of an electron, helping to establish the value of the elementary charge and providing evidence for the quantization of electric charge. This experiment also contributed to the accurate determination of the electron's mass and the understanding of the structure of the atom.
Robert Millikan is credited with the discovery of the elementary electronic charge through his oil drop experiment.