oil-drop experiment

E331182

The oil-drop experiment was a landmark early 20th-century physics experiment that measured the elementary electric charge of the electron by observing tiny charged oil droplets suspended in an electric field.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf landmark experiment in physics ⓘ
measurement of elementary charge ⓘ
physics experiment ⓘ
alsoKnownAs Millikan oil-drop experiment ⓘ
linked to: oil-drop experiment
awardedRecognition Nobel Prize in Physics 1923 to Robert A. Millikan ⓘ
country United States of America ⓘ
demonstrated quantization of electric charge ⓘ
endDate 1910 ⓘ
era early 20th century ⓘ
field physics ⓘ
hasUncertainty systematic errors later discussed by historians of science ⓘ
influenced development of quantum theory ⓘ
precision measurements in particle physics ⓘ
keyConcept Brownian motion ⓘ
electric charge ⓘ
electric force ⓘ
gravitational force ⓘ
viscous drag ⓘ
leadResearcher Robert Andrews Millikan ⓘ
linked to: Robert A. Millikan
location University of Chicago ⓘ
measuredQuantity electron charge ⓘ
elementary charge ⓘ
performedBy Harvey Fletcher ⓘ
Robert Andrews Millikan ⓘ
linked to: Robert A. Millikan
primaryPurpose measurement of the elementary electric charge ⓘ
relatedTo electron ⓘ
elementary charge ⓘ
photoelectric effect experiments ⓘ
resultedIn improved value of Avogadro constant ⓘ
precise value of the elementary charge ⓘ
startDate 1909 ⓘ
subfield atomic physics ⓘ
electromagnetism ⓘ
experimental physics ⓘ
supportedTheory atomic theory of matter ⓘ
existence of discrete electrons ⓘ
usedMethod Stokes law for viscous drag ⓘ
balancing gravitational and electric forces ⓘ
statistical analysis of multiple droplets ⓘ
terminal velocity measurement ⓘ
usedObject X-ray source to ionize air ⓘ
atomizer to spray oil ⓘ
capacitor plates ⓘ
charged oil droplets ⓘ
electric field between plates ⓘ
horizontal metal plates ⓘ
light source for illumination ⓘ
microscope for observation ⓘ
stopwatch ⓘ
tiny oil droplets ⓘ
vacuum chamber or enclosed chamber ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Robert A. Millikan → knownFor → oil-drop experiment ⓘ
Robert A. Millikan → knownFor → Millikan oil-drop apparatus ⓘ
linked to: oil-drop experiment
oil-drop experiment → alsoKnownAs → Millikan oil-drop experiment ⓘ
linked to: oil-drop experiment
The Electron → describes → Millikan oil-drop experiment ⓘ
linked to: oil-drop experiment