Microorganisms Sperm Sedimentation: Terminal Velocity of Sphere Falling in A Fluid

tokes' law is important for understanding the swimming
of microorganisms and sperm; also, the sedimentation of small particles

and organisms in water, under the force of gravity.[4]
In air, the same theory can be used to explain why small water droplets
(or ice crystals) can remain suspended in air (as clouds) until they grow
to a critical size and start falling as rain (or snow and hail).[5] Similar use
of the equation can be made in the settlement of fine particles in water or
other fluids.
Terminal velocity of sphere falling in a fluid[edit]
Creeping flow past a falling sphere in a fluid (e.g., a droplet of fog falling through the
air): streamlines, drag force Fd and force by gravity Fg.
At terminal (or settling) velocity, the excess force Fg due to the difference
between the weightand buoyancy of the sphere (both caused
by gravity[6]) is given by:
with p and f the mass densities of the sphere and fluid, respectively,
and g the gravitational acceleration. Requiring the force
balance Fd = Fg and solving for the velocity v gives the terminal
velocity vs. Note that since buoyant force increases as R3 and Stokes'
drag increases as R, the terminal velocity increases as R2 and thus
varies greatly with particle size as shown below. If the particle is
falling in the viscous fluid under its own weight, then a terminal
velocity, or settling velocity, is reached when this frictional force
combined with the buoyant force exactly balances the gravitational
force. This velocity v (m/s) is given by:[6]
(vertically downwards if p > f, upwards if p < f ), where:
g is the gravitational acceleration (m/s2)

R is the radius of the spherical particle.
p is the mass density of the particles (kg/m3)
f is the mass density of the fluid (kg/m3)
is the dynamic viscosity (kg/m*s).
Steady Stokes flow[edit]

In Stokes flow, at very low Reynolds number, the convective
acceleration terms in the NavierStokes equations are neglected.
Then the flow equations become, for an incompressible steady
flow:[7]
where:
p is the fluid pressure (in Pa),

u is the flow velocity (in m/s), and
is the vorticity (in s1), defined as
By using some vector calculus identities, these equations can
be shown to result in Laplace's equations for the pressure and
each of the components of the vorticity vector:[7]
and
tokes' law is important for understanding the swimming
of microorganisms and sperm; also, the sedimentation of small particles
and organisms in water, under the force of gravity.[4]
In air, the same theory can be used to explain why small water droplets
(or ice crystals) can remain suspended in air (as clouds) until they grow
to a critical size and start falling as rain (or snow and hail).[5] Similar use
of the equation can be made in the settlement of fine particles in water or
other fluids.
Creeping flow past a falling sphere in a fluid (e.g., a droplet of fog falling through the
air): streamlines, drag force Fd and force by gravity Fg.
At terminal (or settling) velocity, the excess force Fg due to the difference
between the weightand buoyancy of the sphere (both caused
by gravity[6]) is given by:
with p and f the mass densities of the sphere and fluid, respectively,
and g the gravitational acceleration. Requiring the force
balance Fd = Fg and solving for the velocity v gives the terminal
velocity vs. Note that since buoyant force increases as R3 and Stokes'
drag increases as R, the terminal velocity increases as R2 and thus
varies greatly with particle size as shown below. If the particle is
falling in the viscous fluid under its own weight, then a terminal
velocity, or settling velocity, is reached when this frictional force
combined with the buoyant force exactly balances the gravitational
force. This velocity v (m/s) is given by:[6]


In Stokes flow, at very low Reynolds number, the convective
acceleration terms in the NavierStokes equations are neglected.
Then the flow equations become, for an incompressible steady
flow:[7]
where:

By using some vector calculus identities, these equations can
be shown to result in Laplace's equations for the pressure and
each of the components of the vorticity vector:[7]
and
tokes' law is important for understanding the swimming of microorganisms and sperm; also,
the sedimentation of small particles and organisms in water, under the force of gravity.[4]
In air, the same theory can be used to explain why small water droplets (or ice crystals) can remain
suspended in air (as clouds) until they grow to a critical size and start falling as rain (or snow and
hail).[5] Similar use of the equation can be made in the settlement of fine particles in water or other
fluids.

Creeping flow past a falling sphere in a fluid (e.g., a droplet of fog falling through the air): streamlines, drag
force Fd and force by gravity Fg.
At terminal (or settling) velocity, the excess force Fg due to the difference between
the weightand buoyancy of the sphere (both caused by gravity[6]) is given by:
with p and f the mass densities of the sphere and fluid, respectively, and g the gravitational
acceleration. Requiring the force balance Fd = Fg and solving for the velocity v gives the terminal
velocity vs. Note that since buoyant force increases as R3 and Stokes' drag increases as R, the
terminal velocity increases as R2 and thus varies greatly with particle size as shown below. If the
particle is falling in the viscous fluid under its own weight, then a terminal velocity, or settling
velocity, is reached when this frictional force combined with the buoyant force exactly balances
the gravitational force. This velocity v (m/s) is given by:[6]

In Stokes flow, at very low Reynolds number, the convective acceleration terms in
the NavierStokes equations are neglected. Then the flow equations become, for
an incompressible steady flow:[7]
where:

By using some vector calculus identities, these equations can be shown to result
in Laplace's equations for the pressure and each of the components of the vorticity
vector:[7]
and

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tokes' law is important for understanding the swimming

of microorganisms and sperm; also, the sedimentation of small particles

(vertically downwards if p > f, upwards if p < f ), where:

g is the gravitational acceleration (m/s2)

Steady Stokes flow[edit]

p is the fluid pressure (in Pa),

(vertically downwards if p > f, upwards if p < f ), where:

g is the gravitational acceleration (m/s2)

Steady Stokes flow[edit]

p is the fluid pressure (in Pa),

Terminal velocity of sphere falling in a fluid[edit]

(vertically downwards if p > f, upwards if p < f ), where:

g is the gravitational acceleration (m/s2)

is the vorticity (in s1), defined as

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