RIPHAH International university Lahore

Prof. Hamza Waqar

Submitted by: Nawaz Ali
Cms no : 407061
Sap id :15149

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Charge on an electron
By Millikan’s oil drop method
 Introduction
 Principle
 Construction and diagram
 Working
 calculations
 Application

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Introduction
 This method was introduced by Robert Millikan in
1909.
 The purpose of this method is to measure the charge
of an electron .
 This experiment was performed with microscopic
droplets.

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Principle

Robert Millikan

 The principle of Millikan’s oil drop

method is based on columb’s law of electrostatics.

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construction

 Construction of this method consists of the following

parts:
1) Container ‘c’
2) Parallel plates “pp’ ”
3) Power supply
4) Source of light ‘s’
5) Atomizer ‘A’
6) microscope
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Construction
1:Container ‘c’
 It contains the parallel plates pp’ .
 It saves the oil droplet from air disturbance.
2:Parallel plates pp’
 The voltages is supplied between these plates .
 This voltage produces electric field between the plates
.
3:Power supply
 The voltage ‘V’ is supplied and controlled by the
battery(V=Ed).

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Construction
4:source of light ‘s’
 It makes the drop visible.
5:Atomizer ‘A’
 The atomizer A is used to spray oil drops into
container through a nozzel .
6: Microscope
 The path of motion of oil drops is observed by the
microscope.

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Diagrame

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Working and calculations

 A drplet is suspended between two plates pp’ ,when
gravitational force is equal to the electric force.ie,
Fg=Fe
mg=qE
mg=q v/d (v=Ed)
mgd=qv
q= mgd/v……..this equation is used to
calculate the charge on an electron which is equal to :
q=