Final answer:
Robert Millikan is renowned for his calculation of the electron's charge, concluding it to be 1.6 × 10^-19 C.
His work was crucial in elucidating the atomic structure and disproving the indivisibility of atoms.
c) The charge of the electron
Step-by-step explanation:
The discovery attributed to Robert Millikan was the determination of the charge of the electron. Millikan's oil-drop experiment, conducted in 1909, allowed him to calculate the charge on an electron by measuring the electric force needed to halt the fall of tiny oil droplets.
He concluded that the charge of a single electron is 1.6 × 10-19 C. This played a crucial role in understanding the atomic structure, as it, along with J.J. Thomson's discovery of the electron and its mass-to-charge ratio, demonstrated that electrons were a component of atoms with a specific, quantifiable charge and mass. Before his work, the concept of indivisible atoms was the prevailing theory.
Robert Millikan discovered the charge of the electron. Through his famous oil-drop experiment, he was able to measure the charge of individual electron particles and determine that they have a fundamental electric charge.
This discovery contributed to our understanding of the atomic structure and the presence of subatomic particles.
Robert Millikan is best known for his oil-drop experiment, where he determined the charge of the electron and contributed to the understanding of the fundamental properties of electrons.