Centrifugation is a process that uses centrifugal force to separate mixtures based on density differences. It works by spinning samples at high speeds, causing denser particles to sediment out of solution. There are two main types - preparative centrifugation which separates large amounts of samples, and analytical centrifugation which analyzes small amounts. Centrifugation has many applications including isolating suspensions, isotope separation, and separating cellular components.