Sinking Spheres (VIDEO)
Caption
New research uncovers surprising insights into how particles sink in stratified fluids like oceans, where the density of the fluid changes with depth. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers show that the speed at which particles sink is determined not only by resistive drag forces from the fluid, but by the rate at which they can absorb salt relative to their volume. That means that smaller particles, counterintuitively, sink faster than larger ones.
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Harris Lab/Brown University
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