title: Uncertainty in sample mass for small numbers of particles from granular materials.
abstract: The standard deviation of sample mass was quantitatively related to the number of particles in the sample, individual particle masses and the fractions of the numbers of different types of particles in the mixture. The theory was verified by sampling of cereal grain mixtures with a spinning riffler and Monte Carlo computer simulation. The theory is applicable to random sampling of well-mixed populations containing two or more types of particles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G2.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kratochvil