Stokes Law - settling rates for perfect spheres

Variable units
C=(ds-df)g/18v where: ds=sediment density g/cm3 (~2.6 for quartz)
(C=drag coefficient) df=fluid density g/cm3 (~1.0 for water)
g=gravitational force cm/s 2
(981 for the Earth)
v=viscosity g/cm*s (0.01 for water)

V=CD2 V=settling velocity cm/s

(V=settling velocity) C=drag coefficient
D=particle diameter cm

ds df g v C D(mm) D (cm) V (cm/s)

2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.001 0.0001 0.00009
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.002 0.0002 0.00035
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.003 0.0003 0.00078
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.004 0.0004 0.0014
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.005 0.0005 0.0022
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.006 0.0006 0.0031
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.008 0.0008 0.0056
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.01 0.001 0.0106
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.02 0.002 0.0385
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.03 0.003 0.0838
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.04 0.004 0.147
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.05 0.005 0.227
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.06 0.006 0.324
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.07 0.007 0.440
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.08 0.008 0.572
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.09 0.009 0.722
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.10 0.010 0.890
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.14 0.014 1.73
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.19 0.019 3.18
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.24 0.024 5.06
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.29 0.029 7.38
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.34 0.034 10.1
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.39 0.039 13.3
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.44 0.044 17.0
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.5 0.049 21.0
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.6 0.059 30.5
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.7 0.069 41.6
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.8 0.079 54.6
 2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 0.9 0.089 69.2
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 1.0 0.10 85.6
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 1.2 0.12 124
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 1.4 0.14 169
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 1.6 0.16 221
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 1.8 0.18 280
2.6 1 981 0.01 0.872 2.0 0.20 346

Click on the graph tabs to see the results.

If you'd like to play around with some other fluids, try light oil at v=1, methyl alcohol at v=0.006
Settling velocity (cm/s)

1.00000

0.90000
Settling velocity vs diameter
(clay, silt and very fine sand)
0.80000

0.70000

0.60000

0.50000

0.40000

0.30000

0.20000

0.10000

0.00000
0.001 0.01 0.1
Grain diameter (mm)
Settling velocity (cm/s)

100.00000

90.00000
Settling velocity vs diameter
80.00000
(fine silt to coarse sand)

70.00000

60.00000

50.00000

40.00000

30.00000

20.00000

10.00000

0.00000
0.01 0.1 1
Grain diameter (mm)