Everyday Centrifugation

Odkrywaj Life Science 26. sierpnia 2018

In the laboratory, centrifuges are ubiquitous, and they are used with a goal in mind. The principle of centrifugation, however, is not limited to the laboratory at all, but it surrounds us practically everywhere - we just don’t always recognize it as such. Sometimes we even allow ourselves to be centrifuged.

In the chain carousel

You don’t have to travel far to experience centrifugal force first hand – the next county fair will be sure to serve that purpose. The centrifugal force carries the body outward – the faster the further! This is how your samples feel inside the centrifuge!

Inside the human centrifuge

The human centrifuge serves the medical selection and training of pilots and astronauts. The body is subjected to increased weight force equivalent to, for example, the take-off of a Space-Shuttle (max. 4 x g) or certain flight maneuvers of fighter jets (>4 x g, max. 10 x g).

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Most often used around the house: The salad spinner...

... is a useful tool in the kitchen and helps you to separate the water from the freshly washed salad leaves

The spin dryer

Technically, a spin dryer is designed to separate the water from the washed fabric. In fact, we use the spin dryer component of the washing machine daily without giving it much thought. This centrifuge makes life a lot easier – without it, laundry would have to be wrung dry by hand. The spin dryer saves us time and energy.

The honey separator

This is one of the lesser known centrifuges. To harvest the honey, the beekeeper removes the frame that houses the honeycombs from the hive and places it upright into the honey separator, where the centrifugal force will pull the honey from the cells. The honey then flows through the outlet at the bottom of the separator, where it is collected in a container before it embarks on its final journey to our breakfast table...