Abstract

Centrifuges are very common instruments utilized in research and clinical settings. The purpose of a centrifuge is to separate the components of a mixture using centrifugal force. An example of a process that utilizes centrifugation is the acquisition of a hematocrit, where red blood cells are separated from blood plasma and the other cellular components. Industrial centrifuges are expensive and generally employed in academic or clinical contexts. A bicycle centrifuge, on the contrary, may be designed and implemented in more generalized settings. Moreover, a bicycle centrifuge affords the opportunity to relate principles in physics to concepts specific to other scientific disciplines, such as biology and kinesiology.

Share

COinS
 
Apr 20th, 11:00 AM Apr 20th, 1:00 PM

Building a Bicycle-Powered Centrifuge

Centrifuges are very common instruments utilized in research and clinical settings. The purpose of a centrifuge is to separate the components of a mixture using centrifugal force. An example of a process that utilizes centrifugation is the acquisition of a hematocrit, where red blood cells are separated from blood plasma and the other cellular components. Industrial centrifuges are expensive and generally employed in academic or clinical contexts. A bicycle centrifuge, on the contrary, may be designed and implemented in more generalized settings. Moreover, a bicycle centrifuge affords the opportunity to relate principles in physics to concepts specific to other scientific disciplines, such as biology and kinesiology.

 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.