LitleBang
- 64
- 0
Does anyone now what kind of experiment they used to determine that the electron is a dipole?
What experiment determined the electron is a dipole?
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
3 replies · 1K views
Discussion
- 24,488
- 15,063
It's the Stern-Gerlach experiment performed in Frankfurt am Main in 1923 by Stern and Gerlach with a fundamental result showing the quantum nature of the electron's magnetic dipole moment (related to its spin). So one should move this thread to the quantum forum.
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
- 16,222
- 4,937
Science Advisor
- 5,331
- 2,425
The idea that the electron has spin and consequently a magnetic moment was initially proposed to explain details of atomic spectra. According to Wikipedia,
"The idea of a spin angular momentum was first proposed in a 1925 publication by George Uhlenbeck and Samuel Goudsmit to explain hyperfine splitting in atomic spectra.[n 3] In 1928, Paul Dirac provided a rigorous theoretical foundation for the concept in the Dirac equation for the wavefunction of the electron.[n 4]"
Now, there are many techniques that are used, some involving spectra and some involving isolated electrons, like this link.
"The idea of a spin angular momentum was first proposed in a 1925 publication by George Uhlenbeck and Samuel Goudsmit to explain hyperfine splitting in atomic spectra.[n 3] In 1928, Paul Dirac provided a rigorous theoretical foundation for the concept in the Dirac equation for the wavefunction of the electron.[n 4]"
Now, there are many techniques that are used, some involving spectra and some involving isolated electrons, like this link.