Some misunderstandings about Millikan's oil drop ... - ACS Publications

~t is apparent the authors of the letter tothe had not about the Stokes Law modification and the organization of had an opportunity to read Harvey ~ l...
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authorship of the f i t 3of a series of five papers on the subject, with Fletcher authoring the third and fifth paper and coauthoring the second and fourth paper with Millikan. Fletcher states he wrote a goodly portion of the first paper, particularly about the Stokes Law modification and the organization of ~tis apparent the authors of the letter tothe had not ~ h of ~ his ~ ' ~ data. I am inclined to agree with other letters to Physics had an opportunity to read Harvey ~ l ~ taccount2 contribution to the oil drop experiment. ~ l ~didt not~want h ~ ~Today that the experiment he referred to as the MillikanFletcher oil drop experiment. this account published until after his death, so that no personal interest could he attributed to its publication. I t seems clear that the actual oil drop apparatus was in fact designed Castellion, M. E. and Bailar, J. C., J. CHEM. EDUC., 59, 970 (1982). by Fletcher and the work with the oil drops was to have been Fletcher, H., Physics Today, 35,43 (1982). Fletcher's doctoral thesis. However, when the success of the Millikan, R. A,, Science, 32, 436 (1910). experiment became apparent along with much attendant publicity, Millikan struck a "deal" with Fletcher. Since MilHarold Brower likan had helped Fletcher's entrance into graduate school and Highline Community College Midway, WA 98031 had aided him in other ways, Fletcher agreed to MiUikan's sole An Addendum to "Some Misunderstandings about Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment" To the Editor:

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Volume 62 Number 5

May 1985

455