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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2006  > September  >
In the Classroom
JCE DigiDemos: Tested Demonstrations
Magnet and BB Analogy for Millikan's Oil-Drop Experiment
Earl F. Pearson
Department of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132

checked by M. Dale Alexander
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001

Cover
September 2006
Vol. 83 No. 9
p. 1313
Abstract
This work describes the use of refrigerator magnets and BB's as an analogy to Millikan's oil-drop experiment. The mass of a single BB is determined without ever measuring the mass of one BB or determining the mass of a known number of BB's. This is analogous to the procedure used by Millikan to determine the charge of a single electron without measuring the charge of a single electron and without knowing how many electrons were included in any charge that he measured. The uncertain and random dividing of a common factor from the observed masses (charges) is avoided by observing that the smallest difference is apt to be the mass (charge) of a single BB (electron) as was actually done by Millikan in his classical experiment.
More Information
*  Citation
 Pearson, Earl F. . J. Chem. Educ. 2006 83 1313.
*  Keywords
 Analogies / Transfer; Collaborative / Cooperative Learning; Demonstrations; Descriptive Chemistry; Enrichment / Review Materials; First-Year Undergraduate / General; Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives; High School / Introductory Chemistry; History / Philosophy; Laboratory Instruction; Student-Centered Learning
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 8/7/2006
8/14/2006
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