Difference between revisions of "Centrifugation"

There is a correlation between the size and density of a particle and the speed at which the particle separates from a heterogeneous mixture, when the only force applied is gravity. The larger the size and the larger the density of the particles, the faster they separate from the mixture. By applying a larger effective gravitational force to the mixture, like a centrifuge does, the separation of the particles is accelerated. This is ideal in industrial and lab settings because particles that would naturally separate over a long period of time can be separated in much less time.