Re: Physics of Settling?

Cliff wrote:

I observed a phenomenon today I'd like to know more about.
Unfortunately, I don't even know the search terms to use, so any
pointers about where I should start reading would be very appreciated!
<snip>

Clearly I don't really understand what's going on with settling. I'd
like to learn a little about how to quantify "ease of separating" the
spheres through settling and what factors influence the phenomenon.

You have stumbled into an extremely active area of current research- granular media, colloids, condensed matter, all kinds of things. It's all really exciting, and covers topics like photonic bandgap materials, phase transitions and critical points, glass dynamics, and foundations of hydrodynamics.

Basically, what you have is a model system- an experimental system that can be used to model other systems in a very generic way. I can't be more specific than that unless I know more about your comfort level.

--
Andrew Resnick, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Case Western Reserve University
.