Question

A relatively flat middle zone in a comb sorter diagram indicates:

• A. Higher fibre length variation
• B. Lower fibre length variation
• C. Higher mean length
• D. Lower mean length

Hint:

In a comb sorter diagram, a flatter middle zone indicates a uniform fiber length distribution, meaning that the variation in fiber length is lower. A wide or spread-out middle zone indicates higher variation in fiber lengths.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

A comb sorter diagram is used to classify fibers based on their length. The purpose of the diagram is to display the variation in fiber length, and how fibers are distributed across different length categories. In the comb sorter diagram, the horizontal axis represents the fiber length, while the vertical axis represents the frequency or the number of fibers at each particular length. The diagram generally has a bell-shaped or bell-like curve where the majority of the fibers fall around a central length. A relatively flat middle zone implies that the fibers within this range have very similar lengths.
Step 1: Understanding the Shape of the Diagram The comb sorter diagram typically exhibits three zones:
1. The left side, which contains shorter fibers,
2. The middle zone, which contains fibers with lengths that are closer to each other, and
3. The right side, which contains longer fibers.
In a perfectly uniform fiber sample, we would expect the middle zone to be flat, representing that most of the fibers have the same length, resulting in lower fiber length variation. In contrast, if the fibers have a wide range of lengths, the middle zone would be broader and more spread out, indicating higher fiber length variation.
Step 2: Analyzing the Middle Zone When the diagram has a flat middle zone, this means that the fibers in this range are of very similar lengths. The flatter this zone is, the lower the variation in the fiber lengths, as the frequency of each specific length remains consistent. This results in fewer extreme values and a greater proportion of fibers that are nearly identical in size.
Thus, a flat middle zone reflects lower fiber length variation, which corresponds to Option B. Step 3: Understanding the Options - Option A: Higher fiber length variation would mean that the fibers in the middle zone have widely different lengths, which would result in a wider or more spread-out middle zone, rather than a flat one.
- Option B: Lower fiber length variation fits perfectly with the concept of a flat middle zone, where the fibers are clustered around a common length.
- Option C: Higher mean length would imply that the average fiber length is greater, but this does not necessarily indicate a flat middle zone. The mean length can vary without affecting the variation in fiber lengths.
- Option D: Lower mean length is similar to option C in that it suggests the overall length of fibers, but again, it doesn’t directly correlate with the uniformity or variation of fiber lengths in the middle zone.
Thus, the correct answer is (B) Lower fibre length variation.