1000+ Chemical Engineering Plant Economics Multiple Choice Question Answer [Solved]

1. Which of the following is the cheapest material of construction for the storage of sodium hydroxide upto a concentration of 75%?
A. Stainless steel
B. Plain carbon steel
C. Nickel
D. Copper
Answer : B

2. The payback method for the measurement of return on investment
A. Gives a correct picture of profitability
B. Underemphasises liquidity
C. Does not measure the discounted rate of return
D. Takes into account the cash inflows after the recovery of investments
Answer : C

3. Pick out the correct statement.
A. Difference between income and expense is termed as gross revenue
B. Unamortised cost is the difference between the original cost of a property and all the depreciation charges made to date
C. Sum-of-the-years-digits methods of depreciation calculation accounts for the interest on the investment
D. Scrap value is the net amount of money obtainable from the sale of used property over and above any charges involved in its removal & sale
Answer : B

4. A balance sheet for a chemical plant shows its financial condition at any given date. It does not contain the __________ of the plant.
A. Current asset
B. Current liability
C. Long term debt
D. Profit
Answer : D

5. Total product cost of a chemical plant does not include the __________ cost.
A. Market survey
B. Operating labour, supervision and supplies
C. Overhead and utilities
D. Depreciation, property tax and insurance
Answer : A

6. The 'total capital investment' for a chemical process plant comprises of the fixed capital investment and the
A. Overhead cost
B. Working capital
C. Indirect production cost
D. Direct production cost
Answer : B

7. If the interest rate of 10% per period is compounded half yearly, the actual annual return on the principal will be __________ percent.
A. 10
B. 20
C. > 20
D. < 20
Answer : C

8. Optimum economic pipe diameter for fluid is determined by the
A. Viscosity of the fluid
B. Density of the fluid
C. Total cost considerations (pumping cost plus fixed cost of the pipe)
D. None of these
Answer : C

9. Gross earning is equal to the total income minus
A. Total product cost
B. Fixed cost
C. Income tax
D. None of these
Answer : A

10. Optimum number of effects in a multiple effect evaporator is decided by the
A. Cost benefit analysis
B. Floor area availability
C. Terminal parameters
D. Evaporation capacity required
Answer : A

11. __________ method for profitability evaluation of a project does not account for investment cost due to land.
A. Net present worth
B. Pay out period
C. Discounted cash flow
D. Rate of return on investment
Answer : B

12. Chemical engineering plant cost index is used for finding the present cost of a particular chemical plant, if the cost of similar plant at some time in the past is known. The present cost of the plant = original cost × (index value at present/ index value at time original cost was obtained). The most major component of this cost index is
A. Fabricated equipment and machinery
B. Process instruments and control
C. Pumps and compressor
D. Electrical equipments and material
Answer : A

13. Which of the following is not a component of the working capital for a chemical process plant?
A. Product inventory
B. In-process inventory
C. Minimum cash reserve
D. Storage facilities
Answer : D

14. Pick out the wrong statement.
A. The annual depreciation rate for machinery and equipments in a chemical process plant is about 10% of the fixed capital investment
B. Annual depreciation rate of buildings in a chemical plant is about 3% of its initial cost
C. Insurance rates on annual basis in a chemical plant may be about 1% of the fixed capital investment
D. In a chemical industry, research and development cost amounts to about 15% of net sales realisation (NSR)
Answer : D

15. Which of the following is the costliest material of construction used in pressure vessel construction?
A. Low alloy steel
B. Lead
C. Titanium
D. High alloy steel
Answer : C

16. If an amount R is paid at the end of every year for 'n' years, then the net present value of the annuity at an interest rate of i is
A. R [{(1 + i)ⁿ - 1}/ i ]
B. R [{(1 + i)ⁿ - 1}/ i (1 + i)ⁿ]
C. R(1 + i)ⁿ
D. R/(1 + i)ⁿ
Answer : B

17. For a typical project, the cumulative cash flow is zero at the
A. End of the project life
B. Breakeven point
C. Start up
D. End of the design stage
Answer : B

18. Effluent treatment cost in a chemical plant is categorised as the __________ cost.
A. Fixed
B. Overhead
C. Utilities
D. Capital
Answer : C

19. In financial accounting of a chemical plant, which of the following relationship is invalid?
A. Assets = equities
B. Assets = liabilities + net worth
C. Total income = costs + profits
D. Assets = capital
Answer : D

20. The amount of simple interest during 'n' interest period is (where, i = interest rate based on the length of one interest period, p = principal)
A. p.i.n.
B. p(1 + i.n)
C. p(1 + i)n
D. p(1 - i.n)
Answer : A

21. Which of the following ceramic packing materials is the costliest of all?
A. Berl saddles
B. Raschig rings
C. Pall rings
D. Intalox saddles
Answer : A

22. Pick out the wrong statement.
A. Longer tubes are less expensive per unit heat transfer area as compared to shorter tubes
B. A cost index is merely a number for a given year showing the cost at that time relative to a certain base year
C. Turnover ratio of a chemical plant is the ratio of gross annual sales to the fixed capital investment
D. Plates with butt welded joints are less expensive compared to lap welded joints, because squaring of plates is not necessary
Answer : D

23. Most chemical plants use an initial working capital amounting to 10-20% of the total capital investment. But this percentage may increase to __________ percent in case of seasonal products manufacturing plant.
A. 30
B. 50
C. 75
D. 95
Answer : B

24. Cost of piping in a fluid processing unit (e.g., distillation) of a chemical process plant is about __________ percent of the fixed capital investment.
A. 4
B. 13
C. 22
D. 34
Answer : B

25. Pick out the wrong statement.
A. Gross margin = net income - net expenditure
B. Net sales realisation (NSR) = Gross sales - selling expenses
C. At breakeven point, NSR is more than the total production cost
D. Net profit = Gross margin - depreciation - interest
Answer : C

26. Purchased cost of equipments for a chemical process plant ranges from __________ percent of the fixed capital investment.
A. 10 to 20
B. 20 to 40
C. 45 to 60
D. 65 to 75
Answer : B

27. __________ of depreciation calculation does not take into account the interest on investments.
A. Present worth method
B. Sinking fund method
C. Sum of the years-digits method
D. All (A), (B) and (C)
Answer : C

28. Out of the following, the depreciation calculated by the __________ method is the maximum.
A. Diminishing balance
B. Straight line
C. Sum of the years digit
D. Sinking fund
Answer : A

29. The ratio of gross annual sales to the fixed capital investment is termed as the __________ ratio.
A. Cash reserve
B. Capital
C. Turnover
D. Investment
Answer : C

30. The inventory of raw materials included in the working capital is usually about __________ months supply of raw materials valued at delivery prices.
A. One
B. Three
C. Six
D. Twelve
Answer : A

31. Depreciation is __________ in profit with time.
A. Decrease
B. Increase
C. No change
D. None of these
Answer : A

32. An annuity is a series of equal payments occuring at equal time intervals, and this amount includes the sum of all payments plus interest, if allowed to accumulate at a definite rate of interest from the time of initial payment to the end of annuity term. Ordinary annuity is used in the calculation of the
A. Manufacturing cost
B. Depreciation by sinking fund method
C. Discrete compound interest
D. Cash ratio
Answer : B

33. The economic life of a large chemical process plant as compared to a small chemical plant is
A. Only slightly more
B. Much more
C. Slightly less
D. Almost equal
Answer : B

34. If 'S' is the amount available after 'n' interest periods for an initial principal 'P' with the discrete compound interest rate 'i', the present worth is given by
A. (1 + i)ⁿ/S
B. S/(1 + i)ⁿ
C. S/(1 + in)
D. S/(1 + n)ⁱ
Answer : B

35. Pick out the wrong statement.
A. Gross revenue is that total amount of capital received as a result of the sale of goods or service
B. Net revenue is the total profit remaining after deducting all costs excluding taxes
C. The ratio of immediately available cash to the total current liabilities is known as the cash ratio
D. Consolidated income statement based on a given time period indicates surplus capital and shows the relationship among total income, costs & profit over the time interval
Answer : B

36. In a chemical process plant, the total product cost comprises of manufacturing cost and the
A. General expenses
B. Overhead cost
C. R & D cost
D. None of these
Answer : A

37. Fixed capital investment of a chemical plant is the total amount of money needed to supply the necessary plant and manufacturing facilities plus the working capital for operation of the facilities. Which of the following components of fixed capital investment requires minimum percentage of it?
A. Electrical installation cost
B. Equipment installation cost
C. Cost for piping
D. Equipment insulation cost
Answer : D

38. Cost of instrumentation in a modern chemical plant ranges from __________ percent of the total lant cost.
A. 5 to 10
B. 20 to 30
C. 40 to 50
D. 60 to 70
Answer : B

39. Depreciation
A. Costs (on annual basis) are constant when the straight line method is used for its determination
B. Is the unavoidable loss in the value of the plant, equipment and materials with lapse in time
C. Does figure in the calculation of income tax liability on cash flows from an investment
D. All (A), (B) and (C)
Answer : D

40. Break-even point is the point of intersection of
A. Fixed cost and total cost
B. Total cost and sales revenue
C. Fixed cost and sales revenue
D. None of these
Answer : B

41. A present sum of Rs. 100 at the end of one year, with half yearly rate of interest at 10%, will be Rs.
A. 121
B. 110
C. 97
D. 91
Answer : A

42. __________ taxes are based on gross earnings.
A. Property
B. Excise
C. Income
D. Capital gain
Answer : C

43. A machine has an initial value of Rs. 5000, service life of 5 years and final salvage value of Rs. 1000. The annual depreciation cost by straight line method is Rs.
A. 300
B. 600
C. 800
D. 1000
Answer : C

44. Effective and nominal interest rates are equal, when the interest is compounded
A. Annually
B. Fortnightly
C. Monthly
D. Half-yearly
Answer : A

45. Cost incurred towards __________ in a chemical plant is a component of the utilities cost.
A. Water supply
B. Running a control laboratory
C. Property protection
D. Medical services
Answer : A

46. A series of equal payments (e.g., deposit or cost) made at equal intervals of time is known as
A. Perpetuity
B. Capital charge factor
C. Annuity
D. Future worth
Answer : C

47. Personnel working in the market research group is responsible for the job of
A. Equipment selection
B. Product evaluation
C. Equipment design
D. Cost estimation
Answer : B

48. __________ of depreciation calculation accounts for the interest on investment.
A. Straight line method
B. Declining balance
C. Both (A) and (B)
D. Neither (A) nor (B)
Answer : D

49. Direct costs component of the fixed capital consists of
A. Contingencies
B. Onsite and offsite costs
C. Labour costs
D. Raw material costs
Answer : B

50. Maximum production start up cost for making a chemical plant operational is about __________ percent of the fixed capital cost.
A. 1
B. 5
C. 10
D. 30
Answer : C