Virtual Measurement of e/m Lab

Interactive courseware module that addresses J.J. Thomson’s landmark experiment to measure the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron, e/m.

Virtual Measurement of the Electron to Mass ratio

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Curriculum Module

Created with R2021a. Compatible with R2021a and later releases.

Information

This curriculum module contains interactive MATLAB® live scripts and MATLAB® app that follow J.J. Thomson’s landmark experiment to measure the charge to mass ratio of the electron, e/m.

Background

The app is a virtual replacement for the experimental apparatus commonly used in physics laboratories. The live script contains a manual for conducting the experiment. This lab includes background, pre-lab, virtual experiment, and data analysis sections and concludes with an application of the theory to mass spectrometry.

The instructions inside the live scripts will guide you through the exercises and activities. Get started with each live script by running it one section at a time. To stop running the script or a section midway (for example, when an animation is in progress), use the Stop button in the RUN section of the Live Editor tab in the MATLAB Toolstrip.

Contact Us

Solutions are available upon instructor request. Contact the MathWorks teaching resources team if you would like to request solutions, provide feedback, or if you have a question.

Getting Started

Accessing the Module

On MATLAB Online:

Use the link to download the module. You will be prompted to log in or create a MathWorks account. The project will be loaded, and you will see an app with several navigation options to get you started.

On Desktop:

Download or clone this repository. Open MATLAB, navigate to the folder containing these scripts and double-click on [virtual-measurement-of-the-electron-charge-to-m.prj](matlab: openProject("virtual-measurement-of-the-electron-charge-to-m.prj")). It will add the appropriate files to your MATLAB path and open an app that asks you where you would like to start.

Ensure you have all the required products (listed below) installed. If you need to include a product, add it using the Add-On Explorer. To install an add-on, go to the Home tab and select Add-Ons > Get Add-Ons.

Products

• MATLAB®
• Curve Fitting Toolbox™
• Symbolic Math Toolbox™

Scripts

If you are viewing this in a version of MATLAB prior to R2023b, you can view the learning outcomes for each script here

emLab.mlx

	In this script, students will... - Explain the forces present in the experimental apparatus - Derive the physical relationships required to compute the e/m ratio - Relate the underlying theory to mass spectrometry

Related Courseware Modules

Feel free to explore our other modular courseware content.

Educator Resources

• Educator Page

Contribute

Looking for more? Find an issue? Have a suggestion? Please contact the MathWorks teaching resources team. If you want to contribute directly to this project, you can find information about how to do so in the CONTRIBUTING.md page on GitHub.

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