Question Bank • QB_DFE_006 MCQ • 1 Mark

Section 7: Dairy and Food Engineering

Heat and Mass Transfer

Subtopic: Water activity, sorption and desorption isotherms

Question Statement:

The difference in equilibrium moisture content of a food material between the adsorption and desorption curves at the same water activity ($a_w$) is known as:

Options:

  • (A) Sorption hysteresis
  • (B) Capillary condensation
  • (C) Osmotic lag
  • (D) Sensible heat lag

Answer Key:

A

Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation

At a given water activity $a_w$, the equilibrium moisture content is higher during desorption than during adsorption. This non-coincidence of curves is termed **sorption hysteresis**.
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