There is a large number of methods for the determination of particle size, and it is important to acknowledge that these different methods are not expected to give identical results. The size of a particle depends on the method used for its measurement, and it is important to choose the method that is most relevant to the application.
The "See also" section covers many of these techniques. In most of them, the particle size is inferred from a measurement of, for example: light scattering; electrical resistance; particle motion, rather than a direct measurement of particle diameter. This enables rapid measurement of a particle size distribution by an instrument, but does require some form of calibration or assumptions regarding the nature of the particles. Most often this includes the assumption of spherical particles, thus giving a result which is an equivalent spherical diameter. Thus, it is usual for measured particle size distributions to be different when comparing the results between different equipment. The most appropriate method to use is normally the one where the method is aligned to the end use of the data.
For example, to choose whether a chemical compound should be measured by dynamic light scattering or laser diffraction, one generally considers the expected size range, the sample type (liquid or solid), the amount of sample available, the chemical stability, as well its application field. If designing a sedimentation vessel, then a sedimentation technique for sizing is most relevant. However, this approach is often not possible, and an alternative technique must be used. An online Expert system to assist in the selection (and elimination) of particle size analysis equipment has been developed.