Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment : Tiny Drops, Big Discoveries

The video explains Robert Milliken's oil drop experiment, which determined the charge of an electron. The setup involved charged plates, an atomizer, and a microscope to observe oil droplets. X-rays ionized the droplets, allowing Milliken to control their movement by adjusting voltage. He calculated the charge on the droplets as multiples of -1.602 x 10^-19 coulombs, identifying the fundamental charge of an electron. Using this charge and J.J. Thompson's charge-to-mass ratio, Milliken calculated the electron's mass as 9.11 x 10^-31 kg, showing it is 1836 times lighter than a hydrogen atom.

What was the primary purpose of Milliken's oil drop experiment?

Describe the setup of Milliken's experiment.

How did Milliken calculate the mass of an electron?

What effect do X-rays have on the oil droplets in Milliken's experiment?

Explain how the charge on the oil droplets was determined.

What was the value of the charge of an electron found by Milliken?

How does the mass of an electron compare to that of a hydrogen atom?