[akarve]

there has to be some missing information on how he found the area of water that fully consumed exactly that amount of oil as it simply doesn’t make sense without that. for instance one can spread a teaspoon of oil over 1, 2, n square meters and at some point the oil goes from m later thick to one to less than one.

[superjan]

Such an experiment was described in a science book I read as a kid. They dissolved oil in alcohol so as to measure a very small quantity of oil, and then a a knitting needle was used to stretch the oil film across a plastic container filled to the edge with water (until the film breaks).