Table of Contents
How did Millikan determine the charge on an electron?
Millikan oil-drop experiment, first direct and compelling measurement of the electric charge of a single electron. Millikan was able to measure both the amount of electric force and magnitude of electric field on the tiny charge of an isolated oil droplet and from the data determine the magnitude of the charge itself.
How was the charge of the electron determined?
In 1909, Robert Millikan and Harvey Fletcher conducted the oil drop experiment to determine the charge of an electron. They suspended tiny charged droplets of oil between two metal electrodes by balancing downward gravitational force with upward drag and electric forces.
What is the charge on an electron in Zeets?
What is the charge on an electron in zeets? A single electron has a charge of 3.6×10−15 Z . Using zeets and a fictitious unit of mass called the wiggle, w, the charge-to-mass ratio of an electron is 8.9×106 Z/w .
How does an object become negatively charged?
An electrical charge is created when electrons are transferred to or removed from an object. Because electrons have a negative charge, when they are added to an object, it becomes negatively charged. When electrons are removed from an object, it becomes positively charged.
How did scientists know that cathode rays a negative electrical charge?
How did scientists know that cathode rays had a negative electrical charge? The rays were repelled by negatively charged plates and deflected by magnets. How do isotopes of an element differ from one another? They differ in the number of neutrons in the nucleus.
What are possible charge of oil droplets?
Looking at the charge data that Millikan gathered, you may have recognized that the charge of an oil droplet is always a multiple of a specific charge, 1.6×10−19C.
Why did different drops have different charges?
Why did different drops have different charges? Because some drops had picked up more electrons than others.