Brownian Motion: Pollen and Red Ink in Water

[kate.k]

The brownian motion setup using smoke and air particles represents and allow us to conclude that gaseous particles move randomly (in any direction).

Is there a setup using other particles and another fluid instead of smoke and air to represent the movement of liquid particles?

1) Can we use Pollen grains and water? Or Red ink and water?
2) Is the choice of pollen grains practical? For e.g. solubility of red ink/ movement of red ink in water or the density of pollen grains compared water?

 

[atyy]

Brownian motion is usually taken to indicate that matter consists of molecules. There is one big particle like pollen or a smoke particle that is observed to move randomly in what appears to be an indivisible fluid. The explanation for the random motion is that the indivisible fluid is actually made of molecules.

So pollen grains would work, but ink probably wouldn't (unless it has big grains of pigment).

 

[astrokreng]

There are indeed setups using other particles and fluids to represent the movement of liquid particles. One example is the Brownian motion experiment using pollen grains and water, which was first conducted by Robert Brown in 1827. Another option is to use red ink in water, which has also been used in various experiments to demonstrate Brownian motion.

The choice of pollen grains as particles in this experiment is practical as they are readily available and easy to observe under a microscope. However, it is important to consider the solubility of the red ink and the movement of the particles in water when choosing the setup. The density of the particles compared to the fluid is also a factor to consider, as it can affect the movement and visibility of the particles. Ultimately, the choice of particles and fluid should be based on the specific goals and objectives of the experiment.