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.

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