Abstract
Millikan’s oil drop experiment is among the classic experiments from modern physics; moreover, it is considered to be one of the ‘most beautiful’ experiments of all time (Crease, 2002). These classifications, however, contrast with the laboratory experience of students and instructors in performing the experiment, for “... as a teaching-lab experiment it does not enjoy a good reputation for three principal reasons: eyestrain, tedium, and poor, unconvincing results” (Jones, 1995). We, too, have experienced the frustrations of inconsistent and unconvincing results and the inevitable questioning of whether the experiment, indeed, still has justifiable educational value. The existing concerns, led us to start a research project on the Millikan experiment in order to improve its educational potential. The project is a joint venture between the Physics Departments at the Carl-von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg in Germany and the University of Winnipeg in Canada, and portions of this study have been carried out at each institution.
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P. Heering
Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany e-mail: peter.heering@uni-oldenburg.de
S. Klassen
University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada, R3B 2E9 e-mail: s.klassen@uwinnipeg.ca
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Heering, P., Droplets, T. (2011). Troublesome Droplets. In: Kokkotas, P.V., Malamitsa, K.S., Rizaki, A.A. (eds) Adapting Historical Knowledge Production to the Classroom. SensePublishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-349-5_7
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