Arriesgado, Alphecca A.

January 24, 2019

10058615 January 31, 2019
EXERCISE 1
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF COMMON GRAIN CROPS
I. Materials and Methods
A. List of Materials
Equipment/Instruments
1. Bulk density scale
2. Wooden plate
3. Steel plate
4. Vernier protractor
5. Dial caliper
6. Protractor
Working Sample
1. Rice paddy
2. Yellow corn
B. Methods
1. Bulk Density. This property was measured with the use of bulk density
tester. To obtain the value, the weight of the grain was divided by the
volume.
a. The grain samples were loaded into the hopper attached to the bulk
density tester, making sure that the opening at the bottom of the hopper
is closed.
b. The grains were let down from the hopper by opening the discharge
lever to let the grains fill the container at the bottom.
c. The grains were leveled at the top of the container using the wooden
scraper, removing the excess grains.
d. After the leveling of the grains was done, the container was weighed
using the measuring scale attached on the equipment.
e. The same process was done thrice, recording the values then the
average was obtained.
f. The process was done both for rice and corn.
g. The data were recorded in the data sheet.
2. Angle of Friction. This is the maximum angle at which the grains start to
slide down inclined surfaces.
a. 50 pieces of palay and 30 pieces of corn were used in the set-up and
for arbitration, the elevation of the incline should be stopped when
50% of the samples already slide down the plane; then the angle
should be recorded.
b. A layer of the grains was placed at the top of the metal plate then the
device was slowly being raised at a specific angle at which the grains
start to slide down.
 c. The angle at which the grains start to slide down is recorded using the
Vernier protractor.
d. The procedure was done thrice then the average was recorded.
e. The procedure was also repeated using the wooden plates (at different
orientations: across and along)
f. This was done with both rice and corn.
g. The data was recorded in the data sheet provided.

3. Angle of Repose. The angle that is formed by the pile of the grains when
they are released on a horizontal surface with the pull of gravity.
a. The hopper of the bulk density tester was filled with grains.
b. The grains the grains were released by opening the bottom of the
hopper.
c. The angle formed by the pile was measured using a make-shift
popsicle stick device then measured using a protractor.
d. The procedure was done thrice then the mean was obtained for the
measurements.
e. The same procedure was done both on rice and corn.
f. After the experiments, the data were recorded in the data sheet.

4. Grain Dimensions.
a. Ten grains were picked randomly to be sampled.
b. The length, width, and thickness of the samples were obtained using a
dial caliper.
c. The averages were obtained.
d. To get the measurements of the dehulled rice, the samples were
dehulled then step b was repeated.
e. The procedure was done for both rice and corn.
f. The data were recorded in the data sheet.

II. Results and Discussions

Table 1. Average values of the different properties of rice grains
Properties Rice
Bulk density kg/m3
Angle of Repose (o) 29.33
Angle of Friction (o) Wood along grain Wood across Metal Sheet
grain
30.23 34.7 24.67
Dimensions (mm) Length Width Thickness
Dehulled rice
Rough rice

Table 2. Average values of the different properties of corn grains.

Properties Corn
 Bulk density kg/m3
Angle of Repose (o) 21.17
Angle of Friction (o) Wood along grain Wood across Metal Sheet
grain
22.27 25 19.5
Dimensions (mm) Length Width Thickness
Dehulled rice
Rough rice

III. Conclusions
IV. References
V. Appendices
Sample computations:
 Bulk Density
* Rice (560g/1 L)
560 g 1 kg 1000 L
× × =¿
1L 1000 g 1m
3

* Corn (750 g/1 L)

750 g 1 kg 1000 L
× × =¿
1L 1000 g 1 m3
 Averages
* Bulk density (rice)

* Angle of Repose (corn)

* Angle of friction (rice) – wood across grain

* Dimensions (corn) - thickness