~ Electric Fields ~

You are a scientist present at ONE of the following:

(1)   R.A. Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment in Chicago, USA begun in 1906.  

(2)   J.J. Thomson's e/m Experiment in Cambridge, England in 1897.

(3)   C.A. Coulomb's Experiments to investigate the force between two charges held in Blois, France in 1784.

(4)   The Linear Accelerator operated by Stanford University near Palo Alto, California.  

(5)   E.O. Lawrence's development of a cyclotron in the USA in 1932.

Write a letter to a friend at Adelaide High School in which you.....

(a)    describe in some detail the surroundings in which you find yourself and the apparatus you find there.

(b) state the purpose of the experiment(s) being conducted.  

(c)    provide an outline of the experimental activity that is taking place.  

(d)   give an indication of the results of the activity.

A piece of about 300 words would be sufficient if presented in normal written form (and to qualify for WBLA) but consider other formats of presentation.

YOU MUST INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND DRAFTING MATERIALS

This item could count for the following SACE objectives: 

 1.3 obtain physics from a variety of sources.

 3.1 recognize that physics is a human activity, developed and applied in a variety of contexts.

4.1    develop scientific literacy ( use of physics terminology and notation).

4.2     use creativity to communicate about physics and physics-related issues.  

Resources

R.A. Millikan's Oil Drop Experiment 

http://www.mdclearhills.ab.ca/millikan/experiment.html
Straightforward description  of experiment + picture of equipment.

http://psheldon.rmwc.edu/keri/Millikan'soildrop/mod/Millikan'soildrop/
Slideshow that includes background info as well as experiment.

http://www.bun.falkenberg.se/gymnasium/amnen/fysik/millikaneng.html
A simplified and interactive version of Millikan's oildrop experiment. 

J.J. Thomson's e/m Experiment

http://www.iop.org/Physics/Electron/Exhibition/section2/shockwave.html
You can recreate JJ Thomson's original experiment from which he discovered electrons. 

http://www.physics.lsa.umich.edu/IP-LABS/EMlabs/EMhints.html
Easy to understand description of experiment and its importance.

http://www.nobel.se/physics/laureates/1906/thomson-bio.html
Biography of Thomson, Nobel prize-winner, 1906.

http://dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/AtomicStructure/Disc-of-Electron-Intro.html
J.J. Thomson and the Discovery of the Electron - easy to read info about his persoanl achievements.

http://www.aip.org/history/electron/
The Discovery of the Electron. An exhibit by the AIP Center for History of Physics with text, animations
and voice about J.J. Thomson's 1897 experiments which helped bring
understanding of the electron as a fundamental unit of matter.

http://library.thinkquest.org/13394/angielsk/athompd.html
The experimental discovery of electrons - Thomson Experiment [Thinkquest]

C.A. Coulomb's Experiments

http://teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu/phy_labs/Coulombs_Law/Coulombs_Law.html
Lab manual to replicate this experiment.

http://www.engr.uky.edu/~gedney/courses/ee468/expmnt/coulomb.html
Detailed description of the experiment

http://www.cinemedia.com.au/SFCV-RMIT-Annex/rnaughton/COULOMB_BIO.html
A D V E N T U R E S in C Y B E R S O U N D Charles Augustin de Coulomb : 1736 - 1806

http://www.kent.wednet.edu/staff/trobinso/physicspages/Web/1999PoP/Coulomb/charles.html
Charles Coulomb isn't just another dead guy. Personal life + contributions to science

The Linear Accelerator

http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/vvc/home.html
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center - Virtual Visitor Center
The most useful site!

http://www.xray.hmc.psu.edu/rci/ss9/ss9_10.html
The Microwave Linear Accelerator Story 

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mrniell/linac.html
Demonstration of a Particle Accelerator. Historical info + how a student built his own version of a linear accelerator!

http://www-elsa.physik.uni-bonn.de/accelerator_list.html
Particle Accelerators Around the World 

E.O. Lawrence's development of a cyclotron

http://www.llnl.gov/llnl/history/eolawrence.html
Who Was Ernest O. Lawrence? Detailed biography

http://www.er.doe.gov/lawrence/bio.html
Physicist, Engineer, Statesman of Science. Ernest Orlando Lawrence's scientific accomplishments and influence on
science are almost unique in his generation and rank among the most
outstanding in history. His cyclotron was to nuclear science what Galileo's
telescope was to astronomy.

http://www-nsd.lbl.gov/LBL-Programs/nsd/user88/cyclotrondef.html
What is a Cyclotron?

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dp31cy.html
Lawrence invents the cyclotron 1931 

http://george.lbl.gov/ImgLib/COLLECTIONS/BERKELEY-LAB/ACCELERATORS/EARLY-CYCLOTRONS/index/96602528.html
Image + brief info