This set of Biomass Energy Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on

“Usable Forms of Biomass, their Composition and Fuel Properties – 1”.

1. What is biomass?
a) Organic materials from living organisms
b) Inorganic materials from living organisms
c) Inorganic materials from non-living organisms
d) Organic materials from non-living organisms
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: Biomass is a term for all organic materials stemming from living
organisms like plants, animals and microorganisms. Examples of biomass are –
animal waste, dead plants and animals, sugar, fats, etc.

2. Which of the following can be classified under biomass?

a) Steel
b) Organic molecules containing hydrogen
c) NaOH
d) Iron
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: Organic molecules containing hydrogen is a biomass. Steel is made up
of inorganic materials. NaOH is a strong base which is made up of an inorganic
material called sodium (Na). Iron (Fe) is another inorganic material which is used for
its magnetic properties.

3. Which of the following is not used as food for humans?

a) Sugars
b) Glucose
c) Cellulosic matter
d) Fats
View Answer
Answer: c
Explanation: Cellulosic biomass is not used as a food source for humans. It is made
up of very complex sugar polymers. Sugars, glucose and fats are used in various
food items.

4. __________ is an example of cellulosic biomass.

a) Glucose
b) Fats
c) Lipids
d) Agricultural residue
View Answer
Answer: d
Explanation: Agricultural residue is an example of cellulosic biomass. They generally
include leftover material from crops like stalks and leaves. Fats, lipids and glucose
are not cellulosic biomass.

5. Value of any biomass depends on ___________ properties.

a) chemical and physical
b) chemical and photo sensitive
c) physical and photo sensitive
d) the number of carbon molecules and on the number of tin molecules
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: The value of any biomass depends on the chemical and physical
properties. These are basically the properties of the large molecules from which it is
made. It does not depend on the light and the number of molecules.

6. Which energy forms can biomass be converted to?

a) Electrical and light
b) Light and chemical
c) Electrical and heat
d) Heat and light
View Answer
Answer: c
Explanation: Biomass can be converted to electrical and heat energy. It can also be
used as transport fuel and chemical feedstock. It cannot be converted to light
energy.

7. The heating value is expressed in BTU/kg.

a) True
b) False
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: The heating value is expressed in BTU/kg. BTU stands for British
Thermal Unit and is used to measure thermal (heat) energy. It is the amount of
energy needed to raise 1 pound of water 1 degree farad at sea level. Other
commonly used units are MJ/kg and cal/g.

8. What does heat value indicate?

a) Amount of energy consumed by biomass to produce energy
b) Amount of energy required to process biomass to produce energy
c) Amount of energy required as heat by the organisms
d) Amount of energy that is available in the fuel
View Answer
Answer: d
Explanation: Heating value indicates the total amount of energy that is available in
the fuel. It is one of the most important characteristics of a fuel. It is mostly a
function of fuel’s chemical composition.
9. High moisture fuels burn readily and provide more useful heat per unit mass.
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Answer: b
Explanation: High moisture content in fuels do not allow them to burn readily and
provide less useful heat per unit mass. This is because water itself does not provide
any energy value. In fact, much of the supplied energy is used to heat and vaporize
water which leads wastage of supplied energy.

10. Biomass is seasonal.

a) True
b) False
View Answer
Answer: a
Explanation: Biomass is seasonal, especially plant biomass. This is a problem
because most biomass comes from agricultural feedstock. However, the energy and
feedstock demands are continuous irrespective of season.