Question

In an experiment it was found that the total charge on an oil drop was \(5.93 \times 10^{-18} \mathrm{C}\). How many negative charges does the drop contain?

Short answer

The oil drop contains approximately 37 negative charges (electrons).

Step-by-step solution

Identify given values

We are given the total charge on the oil drop (\(Q\)) and the charge of an electron (\(e\)). - Total charge on the oil drop (\(Q\)) = \(5.93 \times 10^{-18} \mathrm{C}\) - Charge of an electron (\(e\)) = \(1.60 \times 10^{-19} \mathrm{C}\)

Use the formula to find the number of negative charges

We'll divide the total charge (\(Q\)) by the charge of a single electron (\(e\)) to find the number of negative charges (electrons) on the oil drop: Number of negative charges (\(n\)) = \(\frac{Q}{e}\)

Calculate the number of negative charges

Plug the given values into the formula: \(n = \dfrac{5.93 \times 10^{-18} \mathrm{C}}{1.60 \times 10^{-19} \mathrm{C}}\) Now, we'll perform the calculation: \(n = 37.06\)

Round the result and state the final answer

Since the number of negative charges must be a whole number, we'll round the result to the nearest whole number: \(n \approx 37\) Hence, the oil drop contains approximately 37 negative charges (electrons).