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Physics

Millikan's oil drop experiment measured the elementary electric charge using a setup with two metal plates that an atomiser was used to introduce charged oil droplets between. The droplets' motion was observed with a microscope as no electric field and with an electric field to determine their terminal velocities. This allowed calculating the electric force on each droplet and finding that their charges could only be integer multiples of a fundamental value, the elementary charge e, providing evidence charge is quantized. Millikan measured e to be approximately 1.6×10−19 coulombs. The experiment was improved over time through techniques like using X-rays to increase oil drop charges and controlling temperature.

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175 views14 pages

Physics

Millikan's oil drop experiment measured the elementary electric charge using a setup with two metal plates that an atomiser was used to introduce charged oil droplets between. The droplets' motion was observed with a microscope as no electric field and with an electric field to determine their terminal velocities. This allowed calculating the electric force on each droplet and finding that their charges could only be integer multiples of a fundamental value, the elementary charge e, providing evidence charge is quantized. Millikan measured e to be approximately 1.6×10−19 coulombs. The experiment was improved over time through techniques like using X-rays to increase oil drop charges and controlling temperature.

Uploaded by

Richard Gray
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UNIT 2, MODULE 3

CAPE
PHYSICS

MR. WALSH
Millikan’s
oil drop experiment

Lesson Objectives:
1. Describe Millikan’s oil drop experiment.

2. Discuss the evidence in Millikan’s oil drop experiment


for the quantisation of charge.
Millikan’s Oil Drop Experiment
In 1909 Robert Millikan performed experiments to measure the elementary electric charge e. The
figure below shows a diagram of Millikan’s apparatus.
….continued
Two horizontal metal plates approximately 20 cm in diameter were set up so that they were 1.5 cm
apart. The upper plate had a small hole at its centre. An atomiser was used to create a fi ne mist of
oil droplets above the hole. Some of the oil drops got charged by friction as they came out of the
atomiser. Eventually some of the oil droplets passed through the hole and entered the region
between the plates.
….continued
The oil droplets were viewed using a low-power microscope. The region between the plates was
illuminated and the droplets were seen in the microscope as specks. The eyepiece of the
microscope included a calibrated scale that was used to measure the distance travelled by an oil
drop. The microscope was focused on one particular oil drop and its terminal velocity v1 was
determined by measuring the time t1 for it to fall through a known distance x, when there was no
electric fi eld applied between the plates.
….continued
The forces acting on a falling oil drop are its weight W, the upthrust U due to air and drag force D
due to air.

r – radius of oil drop

ρ0 – density of the oil

ρa – density of air

η – viscosity of air

g – acceleration due to gravity

v1 – terminal velocity
….continued
Weight of oil drop = volume of drop × density of oil × g = 4Τ3 πr3 ρo g

Upthrust = weight of air displaced = volume of drop × density of air × g = 4Τ3 πr3ρa g

Drag force = 6 πrηv1 (Stokes’ law)

Weight of oil drop = upthrust + drag force


4Τ πr3 ρo g = 4Τ3 πr3ρa g + 6 πrηv1 (1)
3
….continued
An electric field E was then applied between the plates so that the drop moved upward with a
terminal velocity v2. The terminal velocity v2 was determined by measuring the time t2 for the oil
drop to move through a known distance y. The electric force FE acting on an oil drop is Eq, where q is
the charge on the oil drop and E = V/d, where V is the potential difference across the plates and d is
the separation of the plates. The figure below shows the forces acting on an oil drop when it is
moving upwards with a terminal velocity.

Weight of oil drop + drag force = upthrust + electric force


4Τ πr3ρo g + 6 πrηv2 = 4Τ3 πr3 ρa g + Eq (2)
3
….continued
Subtracting Equation (1) from Equation (2) gives:

6 π r η v2 = Eq - 6 π r η v1

Eq = 6 π r η(v2 - v1)

6 π r η (v2 − v1)
q=
E
….continued
The electric field strength E was measured using E = V/d

The terminal velocity v1 was measured using v1 = x/t1

The terminal velocity v2 was measured using v2 = y/t2

The radius r of an oil drop was determined by calculation using Equation (1).

𝟗η𝒗𝟏
𝒓=
𝟐 (ρ0 − ρa ) g
How Millikan improved the accuracy of his
experiments
▪ X-rays were used to ionise the air inside the chamber to increase the charge on the oil drops.

▪ A constant-temperature enclosure surrounded the apparatus in order to eliminate convection


currents.

▪ A low vapour pressure oil was used in the experiment to reduce evaporation.
Conclusions
The figure below illustrates the type of results obtained when performing Millikan’s experiment.
After measuring the charges on hundreds of oil drops Millikan concluded the following:

▪ Electric charge is quantised. All electric charges are integral

multiples of a unique elementary charge e.

▪ The magnitude of the fundamental charge e = 1.6 × 10−19 C.

Therefore, since charge is quantised, charge can only exist as e,

2e, 3e, 4e, etc.


Useful links https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HhaQtvICe8

to Millikan’s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFiPWv03f6g

oil drop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwnjYERS66U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV3BtoMGA9c
Experiment
THE END

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