Objective: Carry out Millikan’s experiment to onfirm the value of the elementary charge with the help of charged oil drops
Between the years 1910 and 1913, Robert Andrews Millikan managed to measure the elementary electric charge to an unprecedented accuracy and thereby confirmed the quantum nature of charge. The experiment which now bears his name is based on measuring the quantity of charge carried by charged drops of oil, which are able to rise through the air under the influence of an electric field from a plate capacitor and descend when the field is absent. The Millikan apparatus used for this version of the experiment utilises a compact piece of equipment which is based on Millikan’s design and which does not require any radioactive source.
![Experiment: Millikan’s Experiment (230 V, 50/60 Hz), 8000774 [UE5010400-230], Fundamentals of Atomic Physics](/imagelibrary/UE5010400-230/UE5010400-230_01_Experiment-Millikan-s-Experiment-230-V-5060-Hz.jpg)
![Experiment: Millikan’s Experiment (230 V, 50/60 Hz), 8000774 [UE5010400-230], Fundamentals of Atomic Physics](/thumblibrary/UE5010400-230/UE5010400-230_01_1200_1200_Experiment-Millikan-s-Experiment-230-V-5060-Hz.jpg)
![Millikan’s Apparatus (230 V, 50/60 Hz), 1018884 [U207001-230], Millikan’s Experiment](/thumblibrary/U207001-230/U207001-230_01_140_140_Millikan-s-Apparatus-230-V-5060-Hz.jpg)
![Convex Lens on Stem f =+100 mm, 1003023 [U17102], Optical Components on Stem](/thumblibrary/U17102/U17102_01_140_140_Convex-Lens-on-Stem-f-100-mm.jpg)
![Helium-Neon Laser, 1003165 [U21840], Optical Lamps on Stem](/thumblibrary/U21840/U21840_01_140_140_Helium-Neon-Laser.jpg)
![Tubing, Silicone 6 mm, 1002622 [U10146], Hose, Flow hose](/thumblibrary/U10146/U10146_01_140_140_Tubing-Silicone-6-mm.jpg)
![Optical Precision Bench D, 1000 mm, 1002628 [U10300], Optics with an Optical Bench](/thumblibrary/U10300/U10300_01_140_140_Optical-Precision-Bench-D-1000-mm.jpg)
![Interferometer, 1002651 [U10350], Interferometer](/thumblibrary/U10350/U10350_01_140_140_Interferometer.jpg)
![Accessory Set for the Interferometer, 1002652 [U10351], Interferometer](/thumblibrary/U10351/U10351_01_140_140_Accessory-Set-for-the-Interferometer.jpg)
![Barrel Foot, 1 kg, 1002834 [U13265], Bases](/thumblibrary/U13265/U13265_01_140_140_Barrel-Foot-1-kg.jpg)
![High-Quality Vacuum Hand Pump, 1012856 [U205001], Vacuum Pumps](/thumblibrary/U205001/U205001_01_140_140_High-Quality-Vacuum-Hand-Pump.jpg)
![Experiment: Michelson-Interferometer, 8000684 [UE4030410], Wave optics](/thumblibrary/UE4030410/UE4030410_01_140_140_Experiment-Michelson-Interferometer.jpg)
![Pocket Measuring Tape, 2 m, 1002603 [U10073], Measurement of Length](/thumblibrary/U10073/U10073_01_140_140_Pocket-Measuring-Tape-2-m.jpg)
![DC Power Supply, 32 V, 20 A (230 V, 50/60 Hz), 1012857 [U11827-230], Power Supplies](/thumblibrary/U11827-230/U11827-230_01_140_140_DC-Power-Supply-32-V-20-A-230-V-5060-Hz.jpg)
![Set of 15 Experiment Leads, 75 cm 2.5 mm², 1002841 [U13801], Circuits](/thumblibrary/U13801/U13801_01_140_140_Set-of-15-Experiment-Leads-75-cm-25-mm.jpg)
![Quarter-Wavelength Filter on Stem, 1021353 [U22023], Optical Components on Stem](/thumblibrary/U22023/U22023_01_140_140_Quarter-Wavelength-Filter-on-Stem.jpg)
![Plate Capacitor D, 1006798 [U8492355], Electrostatics](/thumblibrary/U8492355/U8492355_01_140_140_Plate-Capacitor-D.jpg)
![Set of 3 Thermocouples, 1017904 [U8557370], Experiment Leads and Cables](/thumblibrary/U8557370/U8557370_01_140_140_Set-of-3-Thermocouples.jpg)
![Polarising Attachment, 1021364 [U8557760], Polarisation](/thumblibrary/U8557760/U8557760_01_140_140_Polarising-Attachment.jpg)
![Electric Field Meter (230 V, 50/60 Hz), 1021405 [U8557820-230], Electrostatics](/thumblibrary/U8557820-230/U8557820-230_01_140_140_Electric-Field-Meter-230-V-5060-Hz.jpg)
![Experiment: Normal Zeeman Effect (230V, 50/60 Hz), 8000867 [UE5020700-230], Fundamentals of Atomic Physics](/thumblibrary/UE5020700-230/UE5020700-230_01_140_140_Experiment-Normal-Zeeman-Effect-230V-5060-Hz.jpg)