Mass spectrometers?Originally posted by Matthew
Like in what sort of products do we use stuff that Millikan learned.
The Millikan Experiment is an experiment conducted in the early 1900s by Robert Millikan to determine the charge of an electron. It involved suspending tiny oil droplets in an electric field created by parallel plates. By measuring the droplets' rate of fall under the influence of the electric field, Millikan was able to calculate the charge of the droplets and thus the charge of an electron.
The Millikan Experiment has several real-life applications, including in the development of modern electronics. By accurately determining the charge of an electron, scientists were able to understand and manipulate electricity, leading to the invention of devices such as transistors, computers, and smartphones. The experiment is also used in the study of surface tension and viscosity of fluids.
While the Millikan Experiment was designed specifically to measure the charge of an electron, it can also be used to measure the charge of other particles, such as protons. However, the experiment would need to be modified to account for the different mass and charge of the particle being measured.
The use of parallel plates in the Millikan Experiment allows for a uniform electric field to be created, ensuring that the oil droplets experience the same force regardless of their position. This allows for more accurate measurements of the droplets' fall rate and ultimately the charge of the electron.
Like any scientific experiment, the Millikan Experiment has its limitations and potential sources of error. For example, the experiment assumes that the oil droplets are perfectly spherical and that the only force acting on them is the electric force. In reality, there may be other forces at play, such as air resistance, which can affect the results. Additionally, the experiment relies on human observation and measurement, which may introduce human error into the data.