Mass was derived from the droplet's terminal velocity and Stoke's law, accounting for the air's viscosity. By measuring the terminal velocity of a droplet as it fell under gravity (with the electric field off) and then the voltage required to halt its fall (with the field on), Millikan could calculate the charge on the droplet using the formula qE = mg, where q is charge, E is the electric field, m is mass, and g is gravity.
Millikan Oil Experiment Step by Step: Procedure and Measurement Technique
Its legacy persists not only in the data but in the demonstration of rigorous experimental design, where careful observation and logical deduction can uncover the hidden architecture of the universe. He recorded the charge of thousands of individual droplets, observing that the values were always integer multiples of a smallest, common unit.
The constant "e," approximately 1. 602 x 10 -19 coulombs, emerged as the fundamental unit of electric charge.
Millikan Oil Experiment Step By Procedure: Deriving Charge from Droplet Motion
Stopwatch for timing fall and rise velocities. Apparatus and Experimental Setup Millikan's apparatus consisted of a horizontal metal chamber with two parallel plates acting as capacitor plates.
More About Millikan oil experiment
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More perspective on Millikan oil experiment can make the topic easier to follow by connecting earlier points with a few simple takeaways.
