What forces act on a solute particle in a gravitational field?
Three forces act on a solute particle suspended in a solvent and subjected to a gravitational field.
Frictional force (Ff)
As particles travel through a solution they experience a frictional drag proportional to velocity. When particle density exceeds that of the solvent, particles begin to sediment; as they begin to move along a radial path toward the cell bottom, velocity increases as radial distance increases.Buoyant force (Fb)
Equal to the weight of fluid/solvent displaced.Sedimenting or gravitational force (Fs)
The force introduced by centrifugation. It’s proportional to the particle mass and acceleration.