Practical 5 : Particle Size Analysis & Analyze the size of particle using microscope

PURPOSE

To describe the general shape of various type of particles under a light microscope.

 
APPARATUS AND MATERIALS

Light microscope
Glass slide
Weighing boat
355, 500 and 850 micron sand

PROCEDURES

1. 355 micron sand was taken and put on a glass slide and it was made fairly flat on the surface of the glass slide.
2. The slide then was examined under a light microscope at 10x Magnification.
3. The experiment was repeated for another types of sands, which are 500 micron sand, 850 micron sand, and various size of sand.

RESULT

355 micron sand

500 micron sand

850 micron sand

Vary In Size of Sand

QUESTION

1. Discuss briefly the various statistical methods to measure the diameter of particles.

Diameter of a particle can be measured based on a circle having the same perimeter as the particle, which known as projected perimeter diameter. Meanwhile, projected area diameter can be measured from a circle of equivalent area to that of the projected image of a solid particle.

There are also methods called Feret's diameter and Martin's diameter. These two methods are dependent on both the orientation and the shape of the particles. The value of diameter is averaged over many different orientations produced for each particle. The only difference between these two is, Feret's diameter refers to the mean distance between two parallel tangents to the projected diameter. While Martin's diameter refers to the mean chord length of the projected particle perimeter which can be considered as the boundary separating the particle equally. 


 2. State the best statistical method for each sample used in this experiment.

355 micron sand : Martin's diameter
500 micron sand : Martin's diameter
800 micron sand : Martin's diameter
Vary in Size sand : Martin's diameter

CONCLUSION

By using microscope, we can analyses the shape of the particles and determine the best statistical method. Its dependent on the three-dimensional shape of the particles when using the Martin's diameter or Feret's diameter.