Question

Air is sterilized through a depth filter and is sent at an flow rate of 15 m³/sec for an fermentation process for 8 hours with an linear velocity of 0.47m/s. the value of the rate constant is 2.7 cm⁻¹

Calculate Initial number of microorganism present in air

Answer 1

Insufficient data to calculate the initial number of microorganisms in the air for fermentation; additional context on the rate constant or filtration efficiency is required for the calculation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to the calculation of the initial number of microorganisms in the air provided for a fermentation process assuming air sterilization through a depth filter. The air is supplied at a flow rate of 15 m³/sec with a linear velocity of 0.47 m/s, and the value of the rate constant given is 2.7 cm⁻¹. However, to calculate the initial number of microorganisms present in the air, additional information is required such as the efficiency of the filter, baseline contamination levels, or the relationship between the rate constant and the initial microbial load.

Since not enough information is provided to solve the problem, the student is encouraged to review the problem parameters or provide the additional details necessary for the calculation. It's also essential to understand the context of the rate constant, as normally it would be used in decay or reaction rate equations and not directly applied to determine the initial quantity of microorganisms.