Brownian motion of sol particles Brownian motion of sol particles Colloidal particles in a sol are continuously bombarded by the molecules of the dispersion medium on all sides. The impacts are however not equal in every direction. As a result, the sol particles show random or zig-zag movements. This random or zig-zag motion of the colloidal particles in a sol is called Brownian motion or Brownian movement. The phenomenon of Brownian motion was observed by Robert Brown in the form of random zig-zag motion of pollen grains suspended in water. This kind of movement is found in all colloidal systems. Such random motion is visible
Brownian motion motion can be measured as "v" = Δ"x"/Δ"t", when Δ"t" « "τ", where "τ" is the momentum relaxation time. In 2010, the instantaneous velocity of a Brownian particle (a glass microsphere trapped in air with optical tweezers) was measured successfully. The velocity data verified the Maxwell–Boltzmann velocity distribution, and the equipartition theorem for a Brownian particle. In stellar dynamics, a massive body (star, black hole, etc.) can experience Brownian motion as it responds to gravitational forces from surrounding stars. The rms velocity "V" of the massive object, of mass "M", is related to the rms velocity formula_34 of the background