True or False: If less than 2.5 pints of alcohol are used, the air content is always indicated by the final meter reading.

True or False: If less than 2.5 pints of alcohol are used, the air content is always indicated by the final meter reading.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not enough data
• D. It depends

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that air content in this test is obtained under controlled conditions where foaming is suppressed by alcohol. Alcohol reduces surface tension and helps prevent foaming from distorting the reading during agitation and depressurization. If you use less than the specified amount (such as 2.5 pints), foaming can persist and alter the meter’s readings, so the final meter reading may not correspond to the actual air content. Therefore you cannot rely on the final meter reading alone to indicate the air content in all cases; the result may be biased unless the procedure specifies the required amount of alcohol and the reading is taken at the correct point.

The key idea is that air content in this test is obtained under controlled conditions where foaming is suppressed by alcohol. Alcohol reduces surface tension and helps prevent foaming from distorting the reading during agitation and depressurization. If you use less than the specified amount (such as 2.5 pints), foaming can persist and alter the meter’s readings, so the final meter reading may not correspond to the actual air content. Therefore you cannot rely on the final meter reading alone to indicate the air content in all cases; the result may be biased unless the procedure specifies the required amount of alcohol and the reading is taken at the correct point.