%0 Journal Article
%T On measuring colloidal volume fractions
%A Wilson C. K. Poon
%A Eric R. Weeks
%A C. Patrick Royall
%J Physics
%D 2011
%I arXiv
%X Hard-sphere colloids are popular as models for testing fundamental theories in condensed matter and statistical physics, from crystal nucleation to the glass transition. A single parameter, the volume fraction (phi), characterizes an ideal, monodisperse hard-sphere suspension. In comparing experiments with theories and simulation, researchers to date have paid little attention to likely uncertainties in experimentally-quoted phi values. We critically review the experimental measurement of phi in hard-sphere colloids, and show that while statistical uncertainties in comparing relative values of phi can be as low as 0.0001, systematic errors of 3-6% are probably unavoidable. The consequences of this are illustrated by way of a case study comparing literature data sets on hard-sphere viscosity and diffusion.
%U http://arxiv.org/abs/1106.2566v1