Official standards of powders MCQs With Answer are essential study material for B. Pharm students preparing for exams and practicals in pharmaceutics. This concise, Student-friendly post covers key concepts such as pharmacopeial monographs (IP, BP, USP), powder characterization (particle size, sieve analysis, bulk/tapped density), flow properties (angle of repose, Hausner ratio, Carr’s index), moisture determination (loss on drying, Karl Fischer), stability, and quality control tests required by official standards. Focused on real-world applications and compendial requirements, these MCQs with answers will strengthen understanding of powder specifications, testing methods, and regulatory expectations for pharmaceutical powders. Now let’s test your knowledge with 50 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. What is the primary purpose of official standards for powders in pharmacopeias?
- To provide marketing strategies for powdered drugs
- To define quality, purity, assay, and test methods for powders
- To set prices for powdered formulations
- To describe manufacturing equipment brands
Correct Answer: To define quality, purity, assay, and test methods for powders
Q2. Which documents commonly contain official monographs and tests for pharmaceutical powders?
- Hospital formularies only
- IP, BP, and USP
- Pharmacy magazines
- Manufacturer brochures
Correct Answer: IP, BP, and USP
Q3. Which test measures the resistance of powder to moisture loss?
- Angle of repose
- Loss on drying
- Sieve analysis
- Hausner ratio
Correct Answer: Loss on drying
Q4. What does sieve analysis determine for powders?
- Chemical purity
- Particle size distribution by mechanical sieving
- Color and odor
- Moisture binding capacity
Correct Answer: Particle size distribution by mechanical sieving
Q5. Which instrument is typically used to measure tapped density?
- Viscometer
- Tap density tester
- Karl Fischer titrator
- Spectrophotometer
Correct Answer: Tap density tester
Q6. How is Hausner ratio calculated?
- Bulk density / Tapped density
- Tapped density / Bulk density
- Mass / Volume
- Height / Diameter
Correct Answer: Tapped density / Bulk density
Q7. A Hausner ratio greater than 1.25 generally indicates:
- Excellent flow
- Very low moisture
- Poor flowability
- High solubility
Correct Answer: Poor flowability
Q8. What does Carr’s compressibility index assess?
- Chemical stability
- Powder compressibility and flowability
- Microbial contamination
- Particle shape only
Correct Answer: Powder compressibility and flowability
Q9. Which physical property is directly measured by the angle of repose?
- Chemical composition
- Powder flowability
- Tap density
- Moisture content
Correct Answer: Powder flowability
Q10. True density of a powder is determined using which technique?
- Pycnometry
- Sieving
- Angle measurement
- pH titration
Correct Answer: Pycnometry
Q11. Why is particle size critical for pharmaceutical powders?
- It only affects color
- It influences dissolution, flow, content uniformity, and bioavailability
- It determines molecular weight
- It sets the pH of the powder
Correct Answer: It influences dissolution, flow, content uniformity, and bioavailability
Q12. Which method provides aerodynamic particle size for inhalation powders?
- Laser diffraction only
- Andersen cascade impactor or cascade impaction
- Loss on drying
- Pycnometry
Correct Answer: Andersen cascade impactor or cascade impaction
Q13. Which measurement distinguishes bulk density from tapped density?
- Bulk density after settling vs density after tapping
- Both are identical and not distinguished
- Bulk density uses liquid displacement
- Tapped density uses spectroscopy
Correct Answer: Bulk density after settling vs density after tapping
Q14. Karl Fischer titration is primarily used for:
- Measuring drug assay
- Determining trace moisture content accurately
- Assessing particle shape
- Testing microbial limits
Correct Answer: Determining trace moisture content accurately
Q15. Which excipient is commonly added to improve powder flow?
- Colloidal silicon dioxide (glidant)
- Sodium chloride
- Coloring agent
- Preservative
Correct Answer: Colloidal silicon dioxide (glidant)
Q16. What is the main role of lubricants in powder formulations intended for tableting?
- Increase dissolution rate
- Reduce friction between powder and die wall
- Act as preservatives
- Increase powder moisture
Correct Answer: Reduce friction between powder and die wall
Q17. Which phenomenon causes segregation of powder blends?
- Uniform particle size and density
- Differences in particle size, shape, or density
- Adding glidants
- Homogeneous mixing
Correct Answer: Differences in particle size, shape, or density
Q18. Wet granulation primarily improves which powder properties?
- Color and taste
- Flowability and compressibility
- Chemical potency
- pH stability
Correct Answer: Flowability and compressibility
Q19. Which test is essential for powders intended for oral reconstitution?
- Disintegration of tablets
- Dissolution and content uniformity of the reconstituted suspension
- Gas chromatography only
- Viscosity of the dry powder
Correct Answer: Dissolution and content uniformity of the reconstituted suspension
Q20. What does the fineness test for powders evaluate?
- Chemical impurities
- Proportion of particles passing a specified sieve size
- Moisture-binding capacity
- Thermal stability
Correct Answer: Proportion of particles passing a specified sieve size
Q21. Which measurement technique offers a rapid, volume-based particle size distribution?
- Microscopy only
- Laser diffraction
- Titration
- Food sieving
Correct Answer: Laser diffraction
Q22. What is a potential consequence of high residual moisture in a powder?
- Improved flow always
- Microbial growth, caking, and reduced stability
- Reduced bulk density only
- Increased melting point
Correct Answer: Microbial growth, caking, and reduced stability
Q23. Which compendial section typically outlines tests, limits, and procedures for a powder monograph?
- Marketing chapter
- Monograph (title, identification, purity tests, assay, tests)
- Clinical trial appendix
- Patent index
Correct Answer: Monograph (title, identification, purity tests, assay, tests)
Q24. For official standards, identity tests for powders may include:
- Only taste testing
- Spectroscopic, chromatographic, or chemical reactions
- Visual color inspection exclusively
- None; identity is not required
Correct Answer: Spectroscopic, chromatographic, or chemical reactions
Q25. Which property does bulkiness describe in powders?
- Bulk volume per unit mass
- Chemical reactivity
- Electrical conductivity
- Color intensity
Correct Answer: Bulk volume per unit mass
Q26. Which factor most influences powder flow in hoppers and feeders?
- Ambient light
- Particle size distribution, shape, and inter-particulate forces
- Manufacturer name
- Brand color
Correct Answer: Particle size distribution, shape, and inter-particulate forces
Q27. What is the effect of adding a glidant to a powder blend?
- Decrease flowability
- Improve flow by reducing interparticle friction
- Increase chemical degradation
- Cause phase separation
Correct Answer: Improve flow by reducing interparticle friction
Q28. Which test would a pharmacopeial monograph include to ensure absence of excessive heavy metals?
- Limit test for heavy metals
- Angle of repose
- Sieve analysis
- Tap test
Correct Answer: Limit test for heavy metals
Q29. Powder rheology instruments measure:
- Only chemical composition
- Flow behavior under controlled stresses and stresses
- Color spectrum
- Tablet hardness
Correct Answer: Flow behavior under controlled stresses and stresses
Q30. Why is documentation of powder batch records important for official standards?
- Only for marketing purposes
- To ensure traceability, compliance, and reproducibility
- To increase product price
- To avoid scientific testing
Correct Answer: To ensure traceability, compliance, and reproducibility
Q31. Which of the following reduces electrostatic charging in powders?
- Increasing particle brittleness
- Adding antistatic agents or controlling humidity
- Decreasing particle size only
- Reducing temperature to freezing
Correct Answer: Adding antistatic agents or controlling humidity
Q32. What is caking in powdered products?
- Improving flow by glidants
- Formation of lumps or aggregates reducing free flow
- Complete disintegration in liquid
- Conversion to gas
Correct Answer: Formation of lumps or aggregates reducing free flow
Q33. Which official test ensures powder potency matches the label claim?
- Assay
- Angle of repose
- Sieve analysis
- Bulk density
Correct Answer: Assay
Q34. Which of the following is a sign of poor powder flow in a manufacturing line?
- Consistent feed into dies
- Frequent hopper bridging and rat-holing
- Uniform tablet weights
- Smooth compression
Correct Answer: Frequent hopper bridging and rat-holing
Q35. In compendial testing, ‘loss on drying’ and ‘moisture content’ differ because:
- They are identical tests with different names
- Loss on drying measures mass loss on heating; moisture content may require Karl Fischer for bound water
- Moisture content is measured by sieving
- Loss on drying measures chemical purity
Correct Answer: Loss on drying measures mass loss on heating; moisture content may require Karl Fischer for bound water
Q36. Which packing consideration is important for official standards of powders?
- Packaging only for aesthetics
- Protection from moisture, light, and contamination
- Maximum air exposure
- Use of edible packaging only
Correct Answer: Protection from moisture, light, and contamination
Q37. What role does particle shape play in powder behavior?
- Shape affects flow, packing, and compaction behavior
- Shape only affects color
- Shape determines chemical structure
- Shape is irrelevant
Correct Answer: Shape affects flow, packing, and compaction behavior
Q38. Which of the following is a common compendial requirement for microbial quality of non-sterile powders?
- No testing is required
- Specified microbial limits and tests for objectionable organisms
- Only visual inspection
- Sterility test for all powders
Correct Answer: Specified microbial limits and tests for objectionable organisms
Q39. When comparing sieve analysis and laser diffraction, which is true?
- Sieve analysis measures aerodynamic diameter
- Laser diffraction provides rapid, volume-based size distribution; sieving is mechanical and better for coarse fractions
- Both use the same physical principle
- Laser diffraction is only for liquids
Correct Answer: Laser diffraction provides rapid, volume-based size distribution; sieving is mechanical and better for coarse fractions
Q40. Which process is used to reduce fine dust and improve powder handling?
- Drying until brittle
- Granulation to enlarge particle size and reduce fines
- Adding more API as fine powder
- Excessive milling to create more fines
Correct Answer: Granulation to enlarge particle size and reduce fines
Q41. Official test for ‘fineness by sieve’ is most relevant to which powder attribute?
- Viscosity
- Proportion of coarse particles retained on a defined sieve
- Chemical stability
- pH
Correct Answer: Proportion of coarse particles retained on a defined sieve
Q42. Which is a common cause of dust explosion risk with pharmaceutical powders?
- Presence of small, airborne combustible particles in confined spaces with ignition source
- High moisture preventing dust formation
- Large wet granules only
- Low compressibility
Correct Answer: Presence of small, airborne combustible particles in confined spaces with ignition source
Q43. What is the significance of ‘uniformity of content’ for powders in official standards?
- Ensures each unit or dose contains consistent amount of active drug
- Only relevant to liquids
- Measures color uniformity
- Assesses packaging quality only
Correct Answer: Ensures each unit or dose contains consistent amount of active drug
Q44. Which blending equipment is commonly used for free-flowing powder blends?
- V-blender or tumble blender
- High-shear granulator only
- Spectrophotometer
- Karl Fischer apparatus
Correct Answer: V-blender or tumble blender
Q45. Overmixing of a powder blend may lead to:
- Improved API potency
- Segregation or changes in particle size distribution
- Reduced bulk volume only
- Guaranteed homogeneity forever
Correct Answer: Segregation or changes in particle size distribution
Q46. Which parameter is most directly related to dissolution rate of a powdered drug?
- Particle surface area
- Color intensity
- Packaging type
- Manufacturer logo
Correct Answer: Particle surface area
Q47. Which compendial test would detect volatile impurities in a powder?
- Loss on drying or specific volatile impurity tests
- Angle of repose
- Sieve analysis
- Tap density
Correct Answer: Loss on drying or specific volatile impurity tests
Q48. Which practice helps comply with official standards when scaling up powder manufacture?
- Ignoring process validation
- Performing process validation, in-process controls, and comparative testing
- Changing excipients without evaluation
- Skipping quality checks
Correct Answer: Performing process validation, in-process controls, and comparative testing
Q49. Which compendial requirement applies to labeling of pharmaceutical powders?
- Labels should include identity, strength, storage conditions, and batch information
- Labels only need color and logo
- Labels must hide expiry dates
- Labels should include pricing only
Correct Answer: Labels should include identity, strength, storage conditions, and batch information
Q50. Why is selection of appropriate analytical methods important for official powder standards?
- To reduce testing time irrespective of accuracy
- To ensure methods are specific, sensitive, reproducible and compendially acceptable
- To rely only on visual checks
- To avoid documentation
Correct Answer: To ensure methods are specific, sensitive, reproducible and compendially acceptable
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
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