Calculating Charge Of Electron (Millikan Oil Drop Experiment

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the calculation of the electron charge using the Millikan Oil Drop Experiment, utilizing a simulation from a specified website. Key parameters include oil density of 920 kg/m³, air viscosity of 1.81×10⁻⁵ kg/(m·s), and a distance of 0.0025 m. The formula used for calculating charge is q = (6πηr(v1 + v2)d) / V, where η represents air viscosity, r is the radius, v1 is the terminal velocity, v2 is the velocity of the oil drop with x-ray on, d is the distance, and V is the balancing voltage. Participants noted that charge values were excessively large and emphasized the need to identify a common divisor for the observed charges rather than averaging them.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Millikan Oil Drop Experiment methodology
  • Familiarity with fluid dynamics concepts such as viscosity and terminal velocity
  • Knowledge of basic physics equations related to charge calculation
  • Experience with data analysis tools, such as Google Sheets
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of the formula q = (6πηr(v1 + v2)d) / V in detail
  • Research methods for determining common divisors in experimental charge measurements
  • Explore the impact of varying oil drop sizes on charge calculations
  • Investigate advanced simulations of the Millikan Oil Drop Experiment for better accuracy
USEFUL FOR

Students and educators in physics, particularly those focusing on experimental methods and charge quantization, as well as researchers interested in the Millikan Oil Drop Experiment and its applications in modern physics.

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Homework Statement


I was doing the Milikan Oil Drop Experiment from a simulation this site: http://scienceclub.ucoz.com/index/0-109. I tried calculating the charge of the electron but it was from the real value.

Oil Density: 920 (kg/m^3)
Viscosity of Air: 1.81×10−5 kg/(m*s)
Distance: 0.0025 m

Homework Equations


q = (6πηr(v1 + v2)d) / V
η = viscosity of air
r = radius
v1 = terminal velocity
v2 = velocity of oil drop with x-ray on
d = Distance
V = Balancing Voltage

The Attempt at a Solution


Here the data that I took regarding the experiment. Please don't edit anything. I allowed permission to edit so you can see the automation I had done on it. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ac_3WuWi14Rfhduq2n_ZEBYI6s-qXRIczJrT46vedyI/edit?usp=sharing
 
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Your times are quite short and I would be interested in how you derived the formula for the charge. Better: Start with a description of what you measured.
All your charge values are way too large, I agree.

You can't take the average (or at least it won't help). The drops will in general have different multiples of the elementary charge on them. You have to find some sort of common divisor of their observed charges (not in the mathematical sense as the measurements are not exact).
 

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