Millikan determined the charge on the electron by studying the static charges on oil drops falling in an electric field (Figure 2.5). A student carried out this experiment using several oil drops for her measurements and calculated the charges on the drops. She obtained the following data:
Droplet Calculated Charge (C)
A.............................1.60 × 10-19
B.............................3.15 × 10-19
C.............................4.81 × 10-19
D.............................6.31 × 10-19
(a)What is the significance of the fact that the droplets carried different charges?
(b) What conclusion can the student draw from these data regarding the charge of the electron?
(c) What value (and to how many significant figures) should she report for the electronic charge?
Figure 2.5