
Experiments
The Millikan Oil Drop Experiment: Weighing the Electron
Robert Millikan suspended tiny oil drops between charged plates to measure the electron's charge. Here is exactly how he did it, what he found, and the controversy that followed.
2 articles tagged with #Millikan

Robert Millikan suspended tiny oil drops between charged plates to measure the electron's charge. Here is exactly how he did it, what he found, and the controversy that followed.

Hertz spotted it in 1887. Lenard mapped its rules. Einstein explained it in 1905. Millikan spent a decade trying to disprove Einstein — and ended up confirming him.