Reference no: EM132762934

Imagine you are in a universe where everything is the same except for one quantity - the elementary charge. You conduct an experiment such as that done by Millikan to determine the charge on a number of different oil drops. In the experiment, the plates are separated by a distance of 3.75 mm. You vary the potential difference to balance individual drops between the plates. The data you collect is found below: Table 1:Mass of Oil Droplets and Electric Potential Differences between the Plates.

Mass of Oil Drop (kg) Potential Difference (V) Charge (C) n

2.560 x 10-16 253.16
1.960 x 10-16 129.20
1.496 x 10-16 80.68
3.376 x 10-16 117.83
2.268 x 10-16 149.80
1.904 x 10-16 225.96
2.776 x 10-16 126.72
2.952 x 10-16 250.24
1.664 x 10-16 164.56
3.144 x 10-16 143.48
3.464 x 10-16 256.92
2.032 x 10-16 200.96
2.488 x 10-16 210.88
2.736 x 10-16 180.36
2.104 x 10-16 89.16

1. Determine the charge on each oil drop. Use g = 9.81 N/kg. Write the answers in the table provided. Show a sample calculation for the first data set in the space below.

2. Plot a line histogram of the frequency of occurrence for each charge on the oil drop. . Use Desmos and attach picture!

3. a) Does your data and histogram offer any evidence that electric charge exists as an integral (whole number) multiple of a fundamental charge? Explain. What is the elementary charge in this universe?

b) Determine the number of elementary charges on each of the oil drops and record this in Table 1. Show a sample of this calculation for the first data set in the space below

4. a )Why must a large number of values be used to get a reliable answer?

b) What error might result if only a few oil drops are used?