Is there something like vapor pressure for dust?

[Boojatta]

If one were to remove most of the dust from the air in a room, but leave a layer of dust on the floor, then would some dust that was on the floor move into the air to replace the dust that was in the air?

[Jackpine Radical]

1. No.

[Taverner]

2. Not if they are de-ionized

I don't know the physics, but something about the charge makes them heavier, and fall to the floor.

[Xipe Totec]

3. No

it is the Brownian motion of air that keeps dust afloat.

No air, no floating dust.

Otherwise, the moon would have a dust atmosphere.

[tridim]

5. But, dust clumps together in airless space.

It also clumps together on the surface of perfectly still water. Try dumping some dust in an unflushed toilet and watch what happens after an hour or so, it's really neat.

[Ian David]

7. The moon does have a dust exosphere.

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992asee....1.....A

Do a quick google search of "lunar exosphere" or "lunar dust exosphere" if you want more.


Also, airless planet Mercury has a dust exosphere:

Mercury's Exosphere study
http://www.pd.astro.it/oapd/2/2_1/2_1_1/2_1_1_1a.html

And Ganymede:

Spatial and Temporal Modeling of the Exosphere of Ganymede using Sputtering, Sublimation, and Molecule Migration
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2000DPS....32.3502A

[bananas]

9. He didn't say remove air from the room

He said remove dust from the air.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. I don't think so

Dust is composed of little objects that can fall (hence the term "fallout").

Any dust returning to the air (or other gas) would have to be moved by changes in circulation owing to the pressure change, the device being used to remove most of the dust, etc.

It's also possible if the dust contained a substance that changed phase for some reason, particularly ice or water becoming water vapor. This is quite common in nature but usually occurrs in the atmosphere, in a process called http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleation">nucleation.

Hope this helps ...

--p!

[Warpy]

6. It depends on the size and composition of the dust particles

Some particles are so small that they do tend to resuspend just from the breeze from normal air changes in the room. Others are composed of stuff that sublimates.

Dust made of inert materials in a sealed chamber will not move, though.

[Orrex]

8. I believe that Kansas explored this issue three decades ago.

[htuttle]

10. As I recall, their conclusions stated that it was...

...only for a moment, and the moment's gone.

So I guess the answer to the OP's question is: 'No.'

[HamdenRice]

11. Yes

I wouldn't call analogize it to vapor pressure, however. Even in a sealed room with no air currents, if the dust particles are very, very small, Brownian motion could cause some of them to become resuspended in air. Once in the air, entropy could cause them eventually to fill the room evenly.