User:David J Weiss/Notebook/people/weiss/Formal: Difference between revisions
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==<center>Abstract</center>== | ==<center>Abstract</center>== | ||
The ratio for electric charge to the mass of an electron is a fundamental concept in physics and | The ratio for electric charge to the mass of an electron is a fundamental concept in physics and useful for future students interested in the study of physics. From this you can conclude how the electron is hardly affected by gravity and how the electric field governs how the electron behaves. This is important to know for the reason that it is one of the most important values in quantum mechanics. We did this by means of observing the trajectory of electrons in a known constant magnetic field. From this you can find the ratio of electric charge to mass for an electron as a function of observed radii, magnetic field, and energy. This can be done with an electron gun a Helmholtz Coil and a couple of power sources. With all these things we can determine how a beam of electrons curves within a magnetic field and thus measure a radius and with some tricky manipulation figure the ratio for electric charge compared to mass for the electrons. From my experimental data we found that the ratio of e/m is 2.3+/-.23*10 coul/kg. This was one standard deviation away from the accepted value. There was still some systematic and random error that was prevalent throughout the experiment. We will discuss the reasons and sources of these errors. | ||
==<center>References</center>== | ==<center>References</center>== | ||
Revision as of 20:57, 8 December 2009
Experimental Determination of the Electron Charge to Mass Ratio
Abstract
The ratio for electric charge to the mass of an electron is a fundamental concept in physics and useful for future students interested in the study of physics. From this you can conclude how the electron is hardly affected by gravity and how the electric field governs how the electron behaves. This is important to know for the reason that it is one of the most important values in quantum mechanics. We did this by means of observing the trajectory of electrons in a known constant magnetic field. From this you can find the ratio of electric charge to mass for an electron as a function of observed radii, magnetic field, and energy. This can be done with an electron gun a Helmholtz Coil and a couple of power sources. With all these things we can determine how a beam of electrons curves within a magnetic field and thus measure a radius and with some tricky manipulation figure the ratio for electric charge compared to mass for the electrons. From my experimental data we found that the ratio of e/m is 2.3+/-.23*10 coul/kg. This was one standard deviation away from the accepted value. There was still some systematic and random error that was prevalent throughout the experiment. We will discuss the reasons and sources of these errors.
References
2. J. Thompson, "Cathode Rays". The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, Fifth Series, 296 (1897)
3.R. A. Millikan, "On the elementary electrical charge and the Avogadro constant". The Physical Review, Series II 2: 109–143 (1913).
4.Lorenz Force [1]
5.R. Merritt, C. Purcell, and G. Stroink. "Uniform magnetic field produced by three, four, and five square coils". Review of scientific Instruments, Volume 54, Issue 7, 879 (1983).
6.R.C. Gibbs and R.C. Williams, "The Electronic Atomic Weight and e/m Ratio". The Physical Review, Volume 44, Issue 12, 1029 (1933).
