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Teaching Modern Physics - QuarkNet - Fermilab

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In his experiment, Millikan tried to suspend an oil drop within<br />

an electric field so that:<br />

Fe = mg<br />

qE = mg and since V = Ed<br />

(qV)/d = mg or<br />

q/m = (gd)/V<br />

Millikan always seemed to get a certain multiple of a<br />

small amount of charge. Based upon this result and the<br />

known value of g, the distance between the plates and<br />

the electric potential between them, he could mass the<br />

electron!<br />

44

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