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The term sedimentation is more commonly used in geology, to describe the deposition of
sediment which results in the formation of sedimentary rock. It is also used in describing
various chemical and environmental processes that involves motion of small particles and
molecules.
Physics: In a sedimentation experiment, the applied force accelerates the particles against a
viscous force that depends on the velocity. The particles attain a terminal velocity vterm when
the applied force is exactly cancelled by the opposing drag force. For small enough particles
(low Reynolds number), the drag force varies linearly with the terminal velocity
Fdrag = fvterm
This is known as Stokes flow where f depends only on the properties of the particle and the
surrounding fluid. Similarly, the applied force generally varies linearly with some coupling
constant (denoted here as q) that depends only on the properties of the particle
Fapp = qEapp
It depends only on the properties of the particle and the surrounding fluid. Sedimentation
coefficient can describe underlying properties of the particle.
Examples: In chemistry, sedimentation has been used to measure the size of large
molecules (macromolecule), where the force of gravity is augmented with centrifugal force
in a centrifuge. In biology, the sedimentation of organisms is a critical issue for planktonic
organisms, as sinking under gravity moves them away from the surface, where sunlight
provides energy.
(Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedimentation)