Sedimentation coefficient

Have you ever played with sand at the beach? You know how when you pour the sand into water, the sand grains start to sink to the bottom, while the water stays on the top?

Well, scientists use a similar idea called sedimentation to study tiny particles, like proteins and viruses, that are too small to see with our eyes. They put these particles into a tube filled with liquid and spin it really fast. Just like you saw with the sand and water, the tiny particles will start to sink down in the tube while the liquid stays on top.

The sedimentation coefficient is a measure of how fast the particles are sinking in the tube. Scientists can use this information to figure out how big or heavy the particles are, how they move and interact with other particles, and what they might be made of. It's like a special tool that helps scientists understand the world of tiny things that we can't see on our own!