The document describes Robert Millikan's oil drop experiment to measure the charge of an electron. The experiment used an apparatus containing an atomizer, microscope, light source, and two parallel metal plates that obtained opposite charges. Drops of oil were discharged to balance electrostatic and gravitational forces, allowing their mass and charge to be measured. Through calculations, Millikan determined the charge of an electron to be multiples of 1.602×10−19 Coulombs, winning the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work. The document also provides brief biographies of Robert Millikan and Harvey Fletcher, a physicist honored for his work in acoustics and stereophonic sound.
2. To elaborate, this chamber contains an atomizer, a
microscope, a light source, and two parallel metal plates.
These metal plates obtain a negative and a positive charge
when an electric current would pass through them.
The purpose of this experiment was to balance these two
electrostatic and gravitational forces – which would cause
the droplets to halt midair. By doing this, the droplet’s mass,
gravitational force, and electrostatic force could be
measured, revealing the charge of the electron.
Furthermore, by doing these final calculations, Millikan was
able to reveal that the charge of an electron would be
multiples of 1.602×10−19 Coulombs.
3. Robert. A. Millikan
1868-1953
the Nobel Prize
an American professor of experimental
physicist. He won the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 1923 for his method of
accurately measuring the electric
charge through the Millikan oil drop
experiment and for his work of the
photoelectric effect.
4. Harvey Fletcher
1884-1981
a physicist whose pioneering work
in acoustics included the first
demonstrations of stereophonic
transmission and recording.
IEEE Founders Medal
Louis E. Levy Medal
the Progress Medal Award
the Father of Stereophonic Sound
