What causes dust particles to move with Brownian motion?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the phenomenon of Brownian motion, specifically what causes dust particles to exhibit this behavior. Brownian motion refers to the random movement of particles suspended in a fluid (liquid or gas) resulting from collisions with the molecules of the surrounding medium.
Answer
Random collisions with rapidly moving air molecules.
The movement of dust particles in Brownian motion is caused by random collisions with rapidly moving molecules and atoms in the air.
Answer for screen readers
The movement of dust particles in Brownian motion is caused by random collisions with rapidly moving molecules and atoms in the air.
More Information
Brownian motion was first observed by the botanist Robert Brown in 1827 while studying pollen grains in water.
Tips
Not to confuse Brownian motion with the movement caused by air currents, which affects larger particles.
Sources
- Brownian Motion - Study.com - study.com
- What is the cause of the Brownian motion of dust particles - Vaia - vaia.com
- Brownian motion - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
