Constant (electron charge)

The unit ampere (A) is defined by fixing the electron charge to be:

e = 1.602,176,634·10^-19 C (= A·s)

where second is defined by the atomic clock.

History

Around 1910, the American physicist Robert Andrew Millikan (1868 - 1953), with the help of his doctoral student Harvey Fletcher (1884 - 1981), determined the charge of the electron in the famous oil drop experiment. The result 1.592·10^-19 C is only 0.6% smaller than the value accepted today.

Related concepts

• ampere
• base units
• constant (atomic clock)
• constant (Avogadro)
• constant (Boltzmann)
• constant (Planck)
• constant (speed of light)
• current