Title: Millikan’s Experiment

AIM: To investigate Millikan’s oil drop experiment and determine the charge of an oil drop.
Background:
In this lab you will be looking for oil drops that can caught in the electric field between two
capacitor plates. Some drops will fall out of your field of view as the gravitational force on them
is larger than the electric force. Other drops will rise out of your field of view as the gravitational
force is too small for the electrical force
Procedure:
1. The following webpage was accessed:
https://www.thephysicsaviary.com/Physics/Programs/Labs/MillikanOilDropLab/
index.html
2. The spritzer was selected so that oil drops were emitted. It was observed until one drop
was suspended between the plates.
3. The suspended drop was selected and magnified with a scale. The radius of the drop was
measured.
4. The following values were also recorded: density of oil, distance between the electric
plates, potential difference between plates.
5. The charge on the oil drop was calculated.
6. The steps were repeated for 10 oil drops.

Results:
Distance between the plates/mm Oil Density/kgm-3
3 900

Experiment # P.D between plates/V Radius of oil droplet/nm

1 18.8 510
2 17.0 490
3 11.8 250
4 17.5 560
5 14.8 500
6 17.8 420
7 17.8 290
8 17.0 310
9 16.3 310
10 19.0 430
Data Analysis:
For experiment 1:
4 3 4 −9 3
Volume = π r = π ( 510 × 10 ) = 5.5 x 10-19 m3
3 3
Transposing the density equation for mass:

Mass = ( 900 ) ( 5.5 ×10−19) = 5 x 10 -16 kg

Force = mg = (5 x 10-16) (9.81) = 4.9 x 10-15 N

v 18.8
Electric field strength = = = 6266.6 Vm-1
d 3 ×10−3

( 4.9 ×10−15) ( 0.003 )

Charge = Q= w = F × d = =¿ 7.8 x 10-19 C
v v 18.8

Voltage/V Radius/nm Volume/m3 Mass/kg Force/N Electric Charge/C

Field
Strength/
Vm-1
18.8 510 5.5 x 10-19 5.0 x 10-16 4.9 x 10-15 6266.6 7.8 x 10-19
17.0 490 4.9 x 10-19 4.4 x 10-16 4.3 x 10-15 5666,6 7.6 x 10-19
11.8 250 6.5 x 10-20 5,8 x 10-17 5.7 x 10-16 3933.3 1.4 x 10-19
17.5 560 7.4 x 10-19 6.6 x 10-16 6.5 x 10-15 5833.3 1.1 x 10-18
14.8 500 5.2 x 10-19 4.7 x 10-16 4.6 x 10-15 4933.3 9.3 x 10-19
17.8 420 3.1 x 10-19 2.8 x 10-16 2.7 x 10-15 5933.3 4.6 x 10-19
17.8 290 1.0 x 10-19 9.2 x 10-17 9.0 x 10-16 5933.3 1.5 x 10-19
17.0 310 1.2 x 10-19 1.1 x 10-16 1.1 x 10-15 5666.6 1.9 x 10-19
16.3 310 1.2 x 10-19 1.1 x 10-16 1.1 x 10-15 5433.3 2.0 x 10-19
19.0 430 3.3 x 10-19 3.0 x 10-16 2.9 x 10-15 6333.3 4.6 x 10-19

Discussion:
In this experiment, a spitzer with oil was used to emit oil droplets into an electric field between
two oppositely charged plates with a scope in the middle between them. The oil was emitted, and
some droplets moved upwards, and some moved downwards due to the electric field inducing a
positive or negative charge on the droplet and hence the attraction or repulsion of the charge of
the oil droplet d to the plates. However, one droplet stayed stationary in the middle of the electric
field, this is because the droplet was at equilibrium within the electric field and this droplet was
used to calculate the charge on the drops.
An error in the experiment is that the electric field may have not been uniform if performed in
real life hence leading to skewed movement of the droplets.
A precaution in the experiment in real life is to ensure that the droplets enter the electric field and
don’t emit around the field.
Conclusion:
The oil drop experiment was completed and the charge on the oil drop was found for each drop
in equilibrium.