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In: Physics

In the early 1900s, Robert Millikan used small charged droplets of oil, suspended in an electric...

In the early 1900s, Robert Millikan used small charged droplets of oil, suspended in an electric field, to make the first quantitative measurements of the electron

Solutions

Expert Solution

d = 0.67 x10^-6 m
r = 0.335 x 10^-6 m
e = 1.602 x10^-19 C
? = 860 kg/m^3
m = ? x vol. = 860 x 4pi r^3 / 3 = 0.135 x10^-15 kg
g = 9.8 m/s^2

For the drop to be stationary in mid air, the mass of the drop is balanced by the upward electric force .

mg = eE,
where E is the electric field between the the plates.

E = mg / e = 8258 N/C

The voltage between the plates = V = X E ,
where X is the distance between the plates.

V = 8258 x 4 x10^-3 = 33 Volts


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