R. A. Millikan

R. A. Millikan, or Robert Andrews Millikan, was a pioneering American physicist best known for his oil drop experiment in 1909. This experiment measured the electric charge of the electron, confirming that it is a fundamental, indivisible unit. Millikan’s work provided crucial evidence for the atomic theory and helped establish the precise value of the electron's charge, advancing our understanding of atomic structure. His contributions earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1923. Overall, Millikan’s research significantly shaped modern physics by illuminating the properties of subatomic particles.