Describe Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment

Thread starter jayjay713
Start date Nov 23, 2011
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Drop Experiment Oil

In summary, Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment was conducted to measure the charge and mass of an electron for a better understanding of atoms and their components. The experiment used a parallel plate capacitor and an electric field to determine the charge of individual oil droplets, which were found to be a multiple of a fundamental unit of charge and the mass of an electron was calculated to be 9.11 x 10^-31 kilograms. This experiment contributed to the development of the modern atomic model and disproved the theory of indivisible atoms. It has been replicated and confirmed by other scientists, solidifying its accuracy and serving as a basis for other important discoveries in atomic physics.

Nov 23, 2011

jayjay713

How did he determine the mass of an oil drop and the charge of the electron?

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Nov 23, 2011

grzz

As regards the mass of the drop i think that he used

mass = volume x density

and assumed a spherical shape, knowing the density of the oil, and eliminating the radius r of the drop by doing more than one experiment.

Related to Describe Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment

1. What was the purpose of Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment?

The purpose of this experiment was to measure the charge of an electron, as well as its mass, in order to better understand the nature of atoms and their components.

2. How did Millikan conduct his Oil Drop Experiment?

Millikan used a parallel plate capacitor with a microscopic hole at the top to spray oil droplets into the chamber. He then applied an electric field to the droplets and measured their velocity to determine the charge of the individual droplets.

3. What were the key findings of Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment?

Millikan found that the charge of each droplet was a multiple of a fundamental unit of charge, which was later determined to be the charge of a single electron. He also calculated the mass of an electron to be approximately 9.11 x 10^-31 kilograms.

4. How did Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment contribute to the development of atomic theory?

This experiment provided crucial evidence for the existence of subatomic particles and their properties, leading to the development of the modern atomic model. It also helped to disprove the popular theory at the time that atoms were indivisible.

5. Has Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment been replicated and confirmed by other scientists?

Yes, Millikan's results have been replicated numerous times by other scientists, further solidifying the accuracy and validity of his experiment. It has also been used as a basis for other important discoveries in the field of atomic physics.