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Read the following passage and answer the questions below - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 13 - 2021

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Read the following passage and answer the questions below. The Millikan Oil Drop Experiment An experiment performed by Robert Millikan in 1909 determined the size o... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:Read the following passage and answer the questions below - Leaving Cert Physics - Question 13 - 2021

Step 1

What did Millikan determine with his 1909 oil drop experiment?

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Answer

Millikan determined that the charge on an electron is quantized and that there exists a smallest unit of charge, estimated to be approximately 1.6×10−191.6 \times 10^{-19} coulombs.

Step 2

What is the size of the charge on one electron?

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Answer

The size of the charge on one electron is −1.6×10−19-1.6 \times 10^{-19} coulombs.

Step 3

X-rays are made by accelerating electrons across an X-ray tube. How are the electrons produced in an X-ray tube?

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Answer

Electrons in an X-ray tube are produced through a process known as thermionic emission. This occurs at the hot cathode where electrons gain enough energy to escape the metal surface.

Step 4

A drop has a volume of 2.03 x 10^-7 m^3 and a density of 886 kg m^-3. Calculate the mass of the drop.

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Answer

The mass of the drop can be calculated using the formula:

m=density×volume=886 kg/m3×2.03×10−7 m3=1.8×10−4 kg.m = \text{density} \times \text{volume} = 886 \, \text{kg/m}^3 \times 2.03 \times 10^{-7} \, \text{m}^3 = 1.8 \times 10^{-4} \, \text{kg}.

Step 5

Draw the circuit symbol for a battery.

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Answer

The circuit symbol for a battery consists of two parallel lines, where one line is longer than the other. The long line represents the positive terminal and the short line represents the negative terminal:

+ |-------| -

Step 6

In the oil drop experiment, Millikan applied an electric field between the plates until the drop began to move up or down. What is an electric field?

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Answer

An electric field is a region around a charged object where a force would be experienced by other charged objects. It is represented as a vector field, with direction indicating the force experienced by a positive charge and its magnitude represented by the density of field lines.

Step 7

Sketch the electric field that is formed between two oppositely charged parallel plates.

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Answer

The electric field between two oppositely charged parallel plates is uniform. The field lines are straight and parallel, pointing from the positive plate to the negative plate:

|  + |-------------------| - |
|    |                   |   |
|    |-------------------|   |

Step 8

Show the forces acting on the drop when it is not moving up or down.

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Answer

When the drop is not moving up or down, the forces acting on it are the gravitational force pulling it downward and the electric force exerted by the electric field acting upward. These forces are balanced, leading to no net movement.

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