Physics Chemistry - Biology Technics 10/87 — HalSt — ‘The Millikan apparatus with power supply is used, depending on the selected measuring method, in conjunction with ane or two large electric stop-clocks, to verity the quantization of the electrical charge and to determine the elementary electronic charge. Bibliography: Physic Experiments”, Volume 2 (599 932), Experiment 37.2-2/3; ‘New Physical Leaflets for Colleges and Universities”, Volume + (699 952), Experiment 3.7.2.2/3. 1 Technical Data 1.1 Millikan apparatus (569 41) Millikan chamber: Bem diameter Distance of capacitor plate: 0.6 em Microscope with micrometer eyepiece Objective magnification: 1.87540ld Eyepiece magnificatio 10-fold Illumination device wit incandescent lamp: Dimensions: Wei Connecting cable with muttiple plug for illumination device: 6,25 A;E 10-18023 model: MAZDA CYL. PLAT 32cm x 37 em x 326m 4.7 kg ‘approx. 40 em length 1.2 Power supply (559 42) Voltage tapping ‘for plate capacitor: 0...600 V continuously variable for illumination device: 6V;2.58 ‘Moving-coil instrument to measure the capacitor voltage: Range: 600 Vd. c. Quality ctass: 28 Scale graduation tov Scale length: approx. 8.6 cm ‘Mains supply: 110/130/220/240 V 50/60 Hz at 220/240 V: M0.318 B (Spare Part No. 69 810) at 110/130 V: M 0.638 (Spare Part No. 69 813) 19 cm x 11.5 em x 16 cm 18 kg Fine-wire fuse: Housing dimensions: Weight: LEYBOLD DIDACTIC GMBH LEYBOLD Instruction Sheet 559 41/42 Millikan Apparatus Power Supply 2 Description 2.1. Millikan apparatus (Fig. 1) Fig. ‘© Measuring microscope with micrometer eyepiece @ Knurled knob for microscope adjustment © mitikan chamber (plate capacitor) with acrylic glass cover © Socket pair to connect the dc. voltage forthe plate capacitor {can be tapped from socket pair @), adjustable vi knob @) @ Inuminasion deviee @ Knurled knob for lamp adjustment Oil atomizer with rubber ball In resent holder (one bottle with oil included in scope of dtivery) @ Connecting cable for lamp voltage (from multiple socket @) @ Screw for height adjustment (to adapt the microscope to the lye level of che experimenter)22 Power supply (Fig. 2) Fig.2 ® Socket pair for stop-clock 1 © Socket pair o connect the Millikan chamber @ Socket pair for stop-clock 2 — to measure the rate of rise © Mains pilot emp G@ Rotary knab for 0 to 600 V capacitor voltage setting ‘Muttipl socket to connect the illumination device © Onjott switch For 0 to 600 V, at the same time starting the J» stop-clocks as indicated by the symbols @ Switch to open and close the circuits of the electriestop-clocks ® Voltmeter 0 to 600 V to indicate the voltage for the capecitor plates of the Milikan chamber set by rotary knob @) Moins switch, tine-wire fused and mains connector are at the 3 Mode of Operation ‘This method first described in 1913 by R. A. Millikan”) is based on the fact that different indirectly measurable forces fact on an electrically charged oil drop moving in the homo- ‘geneous electric field of a plate capzcitor. When bringing an electrically charged oil droplet with mass ‘meq and charge Q into the homogeneous field of a plate ca- pacitor with the electric intensity E, the following forces act on this droplet: ‘gravitational force mea -9 buoyant force m, -g (may = mass of the air displaced by the oil drop) lectric charge QE only if the droplet, considered in this case asa sphere, ‘moves as against the amblent air: Stoke's resisting force earnv. (n= viscosity of the fluid, r= redius of the droplet, v velocity of sphere and fluid). ‘When taking into account the buoyant force, one writes for, ‘Moa ~ my =m and for Pei ~ pL. =, Wher® Poi is the densi ty of the oll, p_ the density of the air, m and p the corres- lative *) B.A, Milikan: ON THE ELEMENTARY ELECTRICAL CHARGE ‘ANID THE AVOGADRO CONSTANT. PHYSICAL REVIEW No, 2, 1913, page 109 ff onding quantities reduced by the buoyaney effet, ther, provided that a downward force is to be considered as posi- tive, for @ droplet falling through a field-free space with a velocity v, the following rule of forces applies mg—6nrv, 120 Vog—8arny a 4x8 pg—6aryn ony Te C With U = voltage between the plates ofthe Milikan chamber, d = plate spacing and v2 = rie velocity of a droplet, for @ drop- let moving upward under the influence of an electric field of field strength E 2 se towing elton spe: mg~ QE +6xrv29=0 4/318 pg-O4+6arvy.9=0 a For droplet floating in the chamber under the influence of an electric field it applies accordingly: mg — 0 =0 4323 p9-0 Y=0 can) ‘This apparatus permits to determine the elementary electronic charge according to two different methods: 3.1. By measuring the voltage at which a charged oil droplet is floating in the Millikan chamber and by measuring the velocity (of the droplet falling in the field-free space upon switching off ‘the voltage. 3.2 By measuring the fall velocity of a droplet in the field-free space and the rise velocity of a droplet at a definite voltage to be measured. ‘The further relationships required for the two methods can be derived from equations (I) to (II) as follows: Ad3.1 Determining the elementary electronic charge by Und the fall velocity v4 of an oil droplet in the field-free space. ‘When putting (I) Into (III) we obtain Now, the following values are substituted for n, d and p: = 191 -10-5NE na ter 10-5 =074 8 pn eral, resulting in the following final equation: are a=2-10-9 7 As ww‘Ad 8.2 Determining the elementary electronic charge by maturing the fall velocity v, in the field-free space, ‘the rise velocity v2 in the electric field and the volt- ‘ge U at the Millikan chamber. For this equations (1) and (It) are used: uv, aa a Yaornm Vor aay (Fav +48 209757 VIG nea 1820 +H 32 182e, Veal ayree the values for n,0 and p indicated already under 3.1, one obtains the following final equation which enables relatively quick calculation of the charge values: amin enna wea 4 Operation 4.1. Assembly of the Millikan apparatus (only required prior 10 initial operation) Tightly screw together tripod, stand rod and top with Millikan chamber, illumination device and measuring microscope accord- ing to Fig. 1. Make sure that the loosely attached Millikan chamber with acrylic glass cover does not fall down when tilt- ‘the top. 42 Oil filling Fill the oll stomizer, using the oil (Spare Pert No. 68 678) supplied with the apparatus through the spray nozzle so that, ‘the bent capillary tube stands by about 2 mm in the oil. Fit ‘the oil atomizer into the resilient holder making sure that ‘the spray nozzle is positioned before the two boreholes in the acrylic glass cover of the Millikan chamber. 4.3. Notes on time measurement Depending on the method employed, connect 1 time measuring in- ‘srument (@. g. 313 04 or 313 03 or 575 48) to socket pair @ or 2 time measuring instruments to socket pairs @ and @ (see Fig. 3.1 1023); other circuits are shown in section 7, Figs. 6.1 — 6.3. When using the large electric stop-clock (313 04) please note: ‘Turn switch (a) downward when the circuit diagram on the large electric stop-clock (313 04) corresponds to detail draw- ing 1 (Fig. 3.1) ‘Turn switeh (a) upward when the circuit diagram corresponds to detail drawing 2. For description of measuring methods using electric stop- clocks: see Description of Experiment, Section 7. Instead of the electric stop-clocks optionally also one or two manual stop-clocks (313 07) can be used. In such a case do not operate switch @. Its position in arbitrary. Start or stop ‘the clock simultaneously with reversing the switch. Particular ly for the measuring methods described in Section 3.2 now two persons are required to carry out the measurements. Derait drawing 1 Detail drawing 2 Fig. Fig32 Fig. 83