Brazil nut effect

noun

Brazil nut effect

noun

Etymology Referring to this behaviour in containers of mixed nuts, where Brazil nuts are typically the largest.

1

The phenomenon of granular convection or segregation, where granular material subjected to shaking or vibration exhibits circulation patterns like those of a fluid, causing the larger particles to end up on top.

Related terms
popcorn effect

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.