Millikan's Experiment

This simulation recreates Millikan's famous experiment to measure the charge on an electron. An oil drop is released and allowed to reach terminal velocity, then a voltage is applied to accelerate the drop upward until terminal velocity is reached in that direction.

Directions

The slider at the bottom adjusts the voltage applied to the plates and the check box on the left turns the voltage on and off.

Use the "auto" check to turn the voltage on and off automatically.

Use the check boxes to display the drag, electric field and weight forces or the speed in the y direction.

Change Q will keep the same drop but change the charge on it.

New drop creates a new drop in the chamber.

When the drop has completed a cycle in the chamber the values of R (the radius of the drop), the terminal velocities (up and down) and the charge will be displayed.

Use the graph to check that the drop actually reaches terminal velocity in the chamber.There should be a distinct flattening of the graph when terminal velocity is reached.

Designed by Fu-Kwun Hwang

http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/ntnujava/