You are performing a biomass burning experiment. You inject wood smoke
into a chamber that is 2 m wide, 2 m long, and 2 m tall. You inject your smoke perfectly
in the center of your chamber. There are no air flows in or out of your chamber. The
smoke contains a range of particle sizes from 50 nm up to 50 \mu m. You have a filter
sampling apparatus connected to the chamber so that you can collect particles onto a
quartz fiber filter later on. Your filter holder is connected directly to the chamber – you
are not using any tubing, mesh screens, impactor, cyclone, or other equipment that might
limit particle size. However, you do not want particles larger than 10 \mu m on your quartz
fiber filter. Assume particle density is 1.4 g/cm3.
a. [4 points] How might you accomplish this under the experimental constraints
listed above (without changing any of the equipment)? Please be quantitative.
b. [3 points] Quantitatively comment on any losses of your smallest particles during
the procedure you described in (a). Consider whichever mechanism you think
would be dominant.
c. [3 points] With 1-2 sentences for each, explain the three main mechanisms by
which particles are collected onto your quartz fiber filter in words. Which particle
sizes (large or small) are most impacted?