what was the oil drop experiment how did it work

Millikan oil-drop experiment, first direct and compelling measurement of the electric charge of a single electron. It was performed originally in 1909 by the American physicist Robert A. Millikan, who devised a method of measuring the minute electric charge that is …

What did Millikan’s oil drop experiment measure? Millikan oil-drop test, the first simple and persuasive electrical charge calculation of a single electron. It was first conducted by the American physicist Robert A. in 1909.

Millikan's and Fletcher's apparatus incorporated a parallel pair of horizontal metal plates. By applying a potential difference across the plates, a uniform electric field was created in the space between them. A ring of insulating material was used to hold the plates apart. Four holes were cut into the ring, three for illumination by a bright light, and another to allow viewing through a …

In an important series of experiments in Chicago, Robert Millikan measured the charge on a series of oil drops. He did this by observing the time taken for a drop to fall at its terminal velocity under the influence of gravity between two …

Millikan repeated the experiment for over 150 oil drops. He selected 58 of his results and found the highest common factor. That is, the single unit of charge which could be multiplied up to give the charge he measured on all his oil drops.

The experiment was performed by spraying a mist of oil droplets into a chamber above the metal plates. The choice of oil was important because most oils would evaporate …