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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2005  > June  >
Chemistry for Everyone
Revisiting Millikan's Oil-Drop Experiment
Earl F. Pearson
Department of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Cover
June 2005
Vol. 82 No. 6
p. 851
Abstract
This article revisits the original data from Millikan's oil-drop experiment. The data have been analyzed using Microsoft Excel. As expected, the results show that Millikan obtained almost exactly the same value that is obtained using a modern computer and spreadsheet. Millikan did not use factoring of the measured charges even though this is often the explanation given in discussions of this experiment. The smallest difference observed indicates the charge of the electron and provides an initial value for the computer analysis of the data. This analysis would be a good exercise (or introductory laboratory) to illustrate the use of spreadsheets for analysis of laboratory data in the physical chemistry laboratory. Other chemistry teachers might also benefit from this analysis and by reading Millikan's primary article on this experiment.
Supplement
The Excel spreadsheet of the data is available.
*  Contents JCE2005p0851W.xls (Microsoft Excel)
*  Download
JCE2005p0851W.zip
More Information
*  Citation
 Pearson, Earl F. . J. Chem. Educ. 2005 82 851.
*  Keywords
 Computer-Based Learning; Enrichment / Review Materials; First-Year Undergraduate / General; High School / Introductory Chemistry; History / Philosophy; Physical Chemistry; Quantitative Analysis
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 April 27, 2005
May 6, 2005
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