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RPM vs. RCF

What is the difference between RCF and RPM when considering microcentrifuge tubes?

 

RPM stands for "rotations per minute" and is the way manufacturers describe the speed at which a centrifuge is rotating.  The rotor, regardless of its size is travelling that fast on its axis.  The force applied to the tubes and their contents varies by the size of the centrifuge rotor.

 

RCF stands for "relative centrifugal force" and is measured in gravity x force, or g-force.  This is the actual force exerted on the contents of the spinning rotor.  It is RCF, or the force applied, that separates aqueous solutions in the centrifuge. RPM is calculated using the following equation:

 

RCF = 1.1118 x 10-5 x r x RPM2

(r = rotor radius in cm)