What describes the movement of smoke particles?

The movement of smoke particles is primarily characterized by jerky and irregular motion, commonly known as Brownian motion. This phenomenon occurs when tiny particles such as smoke are suspended in a fluid (like air). The smoke particles are too small to be seen with the naked eye, and they are constantly bombarded by the molecules of the gas surrounding them. This bombardment causes the smoke particles to move in random directions at varying speeds, resulting in the erratic and unpredictable paths that define Brownian motion.

This behavior is a direct consequence of the thermal energy of the surrounding air molecules, which causes them to collide with the smoke particles. As a result, the smoke particles do not move in organized or linear patterns, nor do they maintain a constant speed or remain stationary. Instead, their movement is a chaotic dance of rapid changes in direction, consistent with the principles of statistical mechanics that describe the motion of particles in a fluid.