Due to friction with molecules of the surrounding solution, sedimenting particles in a mixture reach a terminal velocity when subjected to ultracentrifugation. The sedimentation coefficient (S) for a particle is defined as the ratio of terminal velocity (vt) to the centrifugal acceleration applied to the particle (ac). S = vt / ac
If each Svedberg unit (S value) is defined as 10-¹³ seconds, approximately how long would it take for a free 50S ribosomal subunit to travel the length of a 9 cm ultracentrifuge tube subjected to a centrifugal force of 50,000 times gravity (g)? Recall that g is approximately 10 m/s².