Electron

Tutor:
Sandip Paudel
IOE, Pulchowk Campus,
Aakhyaan Academy
A. Millikan’s Oil Drop Experiment
• Millikan determines the value of the charge of an electron using an experiment known as
Millikan's oil drop experiment.
Principle
• Millikan's oil drop experiment is based on Stroke's law of viscosity. This law states, "When the
sphere of radius 'r' falling through a viscous medium of co-efficient of viscosity (ղ) under the
action of many forces. It attains steady velocity is called terminal velocity and force on Sphere 's’.

2
A. Millikan’s Oil Drop Experiment
• The experimental arrangement of this
experiment Consists of the double-walled
chamber having two windows W₁ and W₂ as
shown in the fig above. The window W₁ is used
to pass light to illuminate (shine). The oil drop
and window ' W₂’ is used to pass x-rays To ionize
the oil drop inside the double-walled chamber,
there are two metal plates A and B where Plate A
has a hole at its center. The upper plate (A) is
connected to a high-tension battery while the
lower plate is connected to the ground. Lock oil
(a non-volatile liquid ) can be sprayed into the
hole at Upper Plate 'A' with the help of an
atomizer. The microscope Is provided with a
crosswire and micrometer scale. So that the
motion of the oil drop can be observed and
measured.
3
 ✓ When an electric field is
1. Motion of oil drop under gravity not applied, the oil drop
fans under gravity with
• Wight of oil drop (W1) = mass of oil drop x g increasing velocity.
• mg = v.ৎ.g when the viscous force
act on oil drop, then its
velocity becomes
• Upthrust due to air (u) = weight of air displaced by oil drop Constant called
terminal velocity.
• Viscus force (F) = σπηrV
• When oil drops move with constant velocity,
• F+u=W

4
2. Motion of oil drop under electric field
• When a strong field is applied between two plates, the negatively
charged oil drops move in an upward direction and soon attain a
terminal velocity (V2) in an upward direction.
• Also let 'E’ be the electric field intensity and 'q' be the charge, the
electric force on oil drop in an upward direction be
• fe = q.E
• Viscus force in a downward direction is
• F = σπηrV2
• When the oil drop attains terminal velocity V2 then,

5
3. When oil drop is at rest
• Fe = W
• qE = mg
Where,
• q = ne [∴ where n =no. of electron ,e = charge of electron]
• E=V/d
where,
• v = Potential difference, d = Separations between two plates

where,
• v = volume of oil drop
• r = radius of oil drop
• p = density of oil
6
B. Deflection of electron inside electric field
• Let us consider an electron of charge 'e' is inside
the electric field of strength 'E' as shown in the
figure. Then force experiment by an electron
inside the electric field,
• F = eE ---(i)
• Thus, The acceleration produced on this electron
is, eE/m ---(ii)
where m = mass of the electron.
• If 'y' is the deflection in the vertical direction in
time 't', then;
• If 'x' be the horizontal distance in time, 't’,
s=ut+1/2at2

7
B. Deflection of electron inside electric field
• If 'V' be the p.d between two plates of separation 'd' then the
electric field is given by;
• E=V/d
• Then, equation (iv) becomes;

• Equation (v) represent the equation of parabola hence the path

of an electron field is parabolic in nature.
• When the electron just passes the plate x = D then equation (A)
becomes.

• Let, θ be the angle at which the beam emerged out from the
field then,

8
C. Deflection of electron inside magnetic field
• Let us consider a beam of an electron moving with velocity ‘v’
horizontally entering inside uniform magnetic Field ‘B’
perpendicular to the direction of ‘V’ when it enters inside the
magnetic field, a Lorentz force act on an electron beam which is
given by

• This force is perpendicular to both B and V. Due to this electron

is deflected into a circular path as shown in the figure above
• Let ‘m’ be the mass of the electron and ‘r’ be the radius of the
circular path inside the magnetics field. Then,
• Lorentz force provides the necessary centripetal force

• This relation gives the radius of circular path. 9

C. Deflection of electron inside magnetic field
Also,

So, the frequency of electron inside the magnetic field is given by,

And The time period of an electron inside a magnetic field is,

Where,

• E = V/d, Electric field intensity, B = Magnetic field

• v = velocity, V = P.d. , e = charge
• M = mass of electron
10
D. J.J Thompson Experiment to determine specific charge
• J.J Thomson discusses an experiment to determine the specific
charge (e/m) of an electron which is known as J.J Thompson's
experiment.
Principle
• When a beam of the electron is subjected to the uniform electric
field and magnetic field acting perpendicular to each other in such a
way that deflection is produced by another. Then the path of a beam
of the electron remains undeflected.
Construction
• The experimental arrangement of J.J Thomson consists of cathode
[c] and anode [A] which are enclosed in an evacuated discharge
tube. When high voltage is applied between cathode and anode a
fine beam of electrons emits from the cathode and through the hole
of the anode they pass between two parallel plates p1 and p2
11
D. J.J Thompson Experiment to determine specific charge
• When an electric field is applied between two plates p1 and p2 then
electron beams are deflected upward and appear at position 's1'.
And when the magnetic field is applied the electron beam is
deflected downward and appears at position 's2'. But, when both an
electric field and a magnetic field are applied, then electron beams
remain un-deflected and appear at position 's'.

12
D. J.J Thompson Experiment to determine specific charge
Theory
• When a potential difference (vo) is applied between cathode and
anode, the beam of the electron is highly accelerated and gains a
velocity 'v', whose K.E is given by ;

• When both magnetic field and electric field are applied

perpendicular to each other such that the beam of the electron
does not bend. Then, the magnetic field force and electric force
are equal;
i.e Magnetic force = Electric field
• BeV=eE
V=E/B----(ii)
• E=V/d

13
Questions
1. An electron moves in a circular path of radius 20 cm in a uniform
magnetic field of 2*10-3 T. Find the speed of the electron and period
of revolution. (m=9.1*10-31) (NEB 2074).

14
Questions
2. Calculate the radius of a water drop which would just remain
suspended in an electric field of 300V/cm and charged with one
electron. (HSEB 2070)

15
 Questions
3. An electron moving with a speed of 107 m/s is passed into a magnetic
field of intensity 0.1T normally. What is the radius of the path of the
electron inside the field? If the strength of the magnetic field is doubled,
what is the radius of the new path? (e/m=1.8*1011) (NEB 2075)

16
Questions
4. An oil drop of mass 3.25*10-15 kg falls vertically with uniform velocity, through
the air between vertical parallel plates which are 2cm apart. When a p.d. of 1000V
is applied to the plates, the drop moves to the positively charged [late, being
inclined at 45 degree to the vertical. Calculate the charge on the drop.

17
 Questions
5. An electron having 450 eV of energy moves at right angles to a uniform
magnetic field of flux density 1.50*10-3 T. Find the radius of its circular
orbit. Assume that the specific charge, e/m=1.76*1011 Ckg-1

18