Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Average Velocity01:12

Average Velocity

23.1K
To calculate the other physical quantities in kinematics, we must introduce the time variable. The time variable allows us not only to state the position of the object during its motion, but also how fast it is moving. The speed at which an object is moving is given by the rate at which the position changes with time. For each position xi, we assign a particular time ti. If the details of the motion at each instant are not important, the rate is usually expressed as the average velocity. This...
23.1K
Instantaneous Velocity - II01:10

Instantaneous Velocity - II

12.6K
Instantaneous velocity is the quantity that measures how fast an object is moving along its path. In other words, the instantaneous velocity of an object is the limit of the average velocity as the elapsed time approaches zero, or the derivative of displacement with respect to time. Like average velocity, the instantaneous velocity is a vector with the dimensions of length per unit time. Instantaneous velocity can have both positive and negative values. The instantaneous velocity can be...
12.6K
Escape Velocity01:26

Escape Velocity

8.4K
The escape velocity of an object is defined as the minimum initial velocity that it requires to escape the surface of another object to which it is gravitationally bound and never to return. For example, what would be the minimum velocity at which a satellite should be launched from the Earth's surface such that it just escapes the Earth's gravitational field?
To calculate the escape velocity, it is assumed that no energy is lost to any frictional forces. In practice, a satellite...
8.4K
Velocity of an Object01:18

Velocity of an Object

199
Understanding how an object moves along a path requires distinguishing between motion over a time span and motion at a precise moment. A useful example is a vehicle traveling along a straight and level path, where its position at any given time is known. The initial step in analyzing this motion is to measure how far the vehicle travels over a fixed time period. This measurement, called average velocity, is computed by dividing the total change in position by the duration over which the change...
199
Velocity Potential01:20

Velocity Potential

740
In steady, incompressible flow through a long, straight pipe with a uniform cross-section, the flow in the central region (far from the pipe walls) is irrotational. This irrotational nature means that fluid particles do not rotate around their axes, and a scalar function called the velocity potential, represented by ϕ, can be used to describe their movement. In irrotational flows, the velocity field V is defined as the gradient of the velocity potential:
740
Drift Velocity01:19

Drift Velocity

5.5K
The high speed of electrical signals results from the fact that the force between charges acts rapidly at a distance. Thus, when a free charge is forced into a wire, the incoming charge pushes other charges ahead due to the repulsive force between like charges. These moving charges move the charges farther down the line. The density of charge in a system cannot easily be increased, so the signal is passed on rapidly. The resulting electrical shock wave moves through the system at nearly the...
5.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Bed bug infestations: prevalence, correlates, and cross-sectional association with psychological symptoms in a large sample of tenants in Montreal, Canada.

BMC public health·2025
Same author

Highly sensitive and label-free detection of SARS-CoV-2 proteins via surface plasmon resonance using biofunctionalization with 1 nm thick carbon nanomembranes.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

The Changing Baltic Sea: Between Nutrient Load Reduction and a Warming Climate.

Annual review of marine science·2025
Same author

Temporal and spatial distribution of chlorinated hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak over the past 30 years.

The Science of the total environment·2025
Same author

Imprint of incomplete combustion processes on the water column of the anthropogenic-pressured Baltic Sea.

The Science of the total environment·2025
Same author

Temporal development of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the Baltic Sea sediments: Characterization of the pollution maximum.

The Science of the total environment·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Sampling and Identification of Microplastics in Groundwater
08:27

Sampling and Identification of Microplastics in Groundwater

Published on: November 7, 2025

1.1K

Sinking velocity of sub-millimeter microplastic.

David Kaiser1, Arne Estelmann1, Nicole Kowalski1

  • 1Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Seestraße 15, 18119 Rostock, Germany.

Marine Pollution Bulletin
|January 29, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Irregularly shaped particles sink slower than spheres. Particle size and density influence sinking velocity, but shape significantly reduces speed, necessitating new models for accurate prediction.

Keywords:
MicroplasticSettling experimentsShadowgraphySub-mm particle sizeTerminal sinking velocity

More Related Videos

Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils
14:10

Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils

Published on: March 21, 2025

3.3K
Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis
10:16

Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis

Published on: December 16, 2016

50.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Sampling and Identification of Microplastics in Groundwater
08:27

Sampling and Identification of Microplastics in Groundwater

Published on: November 7, 2025

1.1K
Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils
14:10

Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils

Published on: March 21, 2025

3.3K
Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis
10:16

Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis

Published on: December 16, 2016

50.9K

Area of Science:

  • Environmental science
  • Fluid dynamics
  • Materials science

Background:

  • Understanding particle sinking dynamics is crucial for environmental processes like pollutant transport and sediment settling.
  • Existing models often assume spherical particles, which may not accurately represent irregularly shaped microplastics and other environmental particles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the terminal sinking velocities of irregularly shaped microplastic particles.
  • To compare experimental results with theoretical predictions for spheres.
  • To develop a generalized model for predicting sinking velocities based on particle size and density.

Main Methods:

  • Sinking experiments were performed on polyamide (PA), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particles (6-251 μm).
  • Certified polystyrene (PS) spheres were used to validate the experimental methodology.
  • Quadratic linear regression was applied to analyze the relationship between sinking velocity and particle size.

Main Results:

  • Irregularly shaped particles exhibited significantly lower sinking velocities than theoretical values for spheres of equivalent size.
  • Particle size was found to influence sinking velocity, described by a quadratic linear regression with 63% average determination.
  • The experimental method accurately reproduced the effect of particle size on terminal sinking velocity using PS spheres.

Conclusions:

  • Particle shape is a critical factor that reduces sinking velocities compared to spheres.
  • A model predicting terminal sinking velocity based on particle size and excess density was proposed.
  • Further research with diverse particle characteristics is needed to enhance the predictive accuracy of the sinking velocity model.