Who Discovered Quantisation of Charge?

In summary, quantisation of charge is the concept that electric charge is discrete and can only take on certain specific values. It was first proposed by French physicist Charles-Augustin de Coulomb in the 18th century and was later confirmed by experiments conducted by Robert Millikan and Albert Einstein. The quantisation of charge was experimentally verified through Millikan's oil drop experiment in 1909. Its significance lies in its impact on our understanding of electricity and the development of modern theories such as quantum mechanics. While there are a few exceptions to the quantisation of charge, they still follow the overall principle that charges are in discrete units.
  • #1
Jippo
3
0
Friends,

I am trying to ascertain who first postulated that the electron had a charge that was quantised.

I know all about Millikan's experiment. It's fairly clear he knew what he was looking for but I want to know basically who told Millikan.

It's for a simple backround piece for a Laborotory Report

Cheers if ye can help.
 
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  • #2
Apologies,

It appears that sustained work by Thompson et al, suggested that charge may be quantised but that Millikan had demonstrated it indeed.

Cheers.
 

1. What is the concept of quantisation of charge?

Quantisation of charge is the idea that electric charge comes in discrete units or packets, rather than being continuous. This means that the charge of an object can only have certain specific values, and cannot take on any value in between.

2. Who discovered quantisation of charge?

The concept of quantisation of charge was first proposed by French physicist Charles-Augustin de Coulomb in the 18th century. However, it was not until the early 20th century that the quantisation of charge was confirmed by experiments conducted by physicists Robert Millikan and Albert Einstein.

3. How was the quantisation of charge experimentally verified?

To verify the quantisation of charge, Robert Millikan performed the famous oil drop experiment in 1909. He observed the behavior of charged oil droplets falling in an electric field and measured their charges, which were always found to be multiples of the smallest unit of charge, known as the elementary charge.

4. What is the significance of quantisation of charge?

The discovery of quantisation of charge has had a profound impact on our understanding of electricity and the behavior of charged particles. It has also led to the development of modern theories such as quantum mechanics, which explains the behavior of particles at the atomic and subatomic level.

5. Are there any exceptions to the quantisation of charge?

While the quantisation of charge holds true for most particles, there are a few exceptions. One example is the quark, which is a subatomic particle that carries a fractional charge. However, these exceptions still follow the overall principle of quantisation of charge, as the charges of quarks are always in multiples of one-third of the elementary charge.

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