From RegentsEarth.com

Both particles have the samedensity, volume, and mass.The only difference betweenthem is their SHAPE.

Which will settle fastest?

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These particles are exactly thesame size, volume and shape.

The blue particle has a densityof 1.5g/cm3. The red particlehas density of 4.8g/cm3.

Which will settle fastest?

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All the particles are madeof the same material whichmeans they all have thesame density, and all haveexactly the same shape.

The only difference is their size (and therefore mass aswell).

Which particle(s) will settlefastest?

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To sum up:

Round particles settle faster than flat ones.

More dense particles settle faster than those that are less dense.

Large particles settle faster than smaller particles.

These particlesare in suspensionin a stream

All the particles have the samedensity and shape but theyvary in size.

What will happenwhen the streamvelocity decreases?

The particles settle at differentrates.................

The largest particlessettle at the fastestrate and end up onthe bottom.

Medium size particles settlemore slowly......

The smallest particlessettle at the slowest rateand end up on top.

This is called VERTICAL SORTING. Particles are sorted from bottom to top. This pattern of sorting is usually the result a decrease in stream velocity.

When a stream enters a lake or theocean its velocity decreases.

When the velocity decreases theparticles begin to settle to thebottom.

The big particles settle first,close to the mouth of the stream.

The smaller particles settle fartherout into the ocean.

This pattern is called HORIZONTAL SORTING and it occurs whenever a river orstream enters a large body of water, a lake or the ocean, and slows down.