Which centrifuge type has tubes in a horizontal position during rotation and vertical at rest?

Which centrifuge type has tubes in a horizontal position during rotation and vertical at rest?

• A. Fixed/Angle-head centrifuge
• B. Horizontal head centrifuge/swinging bucket
• C. Ultra centrifuge
• D. Cytocentrifuge

Answer: (B)

Swinging-bucket centrifuges have buckets that swing outward under centrifugal force, lining up the tubes horizontally while the rotor is spinning. When the rotor stops, gravity pulls the buckets back to a vertical orientation, so the tubes are vertical at rest. This combination—horizontal during high-speed rotation and vertical when idle—is what distinguishes this type. Fixed-angle rotors keep tubes at a constant angled position throughout operation and at rest, so they never become horizontal during spinning. Ultracentrifuges typically use fixed-angle rotors for very high speeds, and cytocentrifuges rely on a different setup aimed at slide preparation rather than changing tube orientation with rotation.

Swinging-bucket centrifuges have buckets that swing outward under centrifugal force, lining up the tubes horizontally while the rotor is spinning. When the rotor stops, gravity pulls the buckets back to a vertical orientation, so the tubes are vertical at rest. This combination—horizontal during high-speed rotation and vertical when idle—is what distinguishes this type. Fixed-angle rotors keep tubes at a constant angled position throughout operation and at rest, so they never become horizontal during spinning. Ultracentrifuges typically use fixed-angle rotors for very high speeds, and cytocentrifuges rely on a different setup aimed at slide preparation rather than changing tube orientation with rotation.