[Virginia Tech Department of Physics]

Revised 01/09/2015

Physics 3324 Laboratory Equipment List

Lab 3: Millikan Oil Drop

Equipment List:

  1. Millikan Oil Drop apparatus
  2. Millikan power supply
  3. Two stopwatches
  4. Banana plug cables
    • Two Blue
    • Two Red

Notes and tests:

  1. The Millikan power supply: this has no on/off switch.  To bring it on plug in the connector from the power adapter to the 12 V in hole in the back.
  2. Verify that the connections from the power supply to the capacitor plates are hooked up so that the positive side
    (red lead) is on the top and the ground side (blue lead) is on the bottom.
  3. Turn the “U” switch to on and dial the voltage knob over its full range (0 – 600 V).  Then set it to 500 V
    (within ~ +/- 5 V or so).  Leave it at that setting for the remainder of the lab.  Turn the U knob off for now.