The residence-time distribution (RTD) function of a reactor (in min⁻¹) is E(t) = 1 − 2t for t ≤ 0.5 min, and E(t) = 0 for t 0.5 min. The mean residence time of the reactor is ____ min (rounded off to 2 decimal places).

Question

The residence-time distribution (RTD) function of a reactor (in min⁻¹) is E(t) = 1 − 2t for t ≤ 0.5 min, and E(t) = 0 for t > 0.5 min. The mean residence time of the reactor is ____ min (rounded off to 2 decimal places).

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is 0.04 to 0.18. GATE 2025 official key: 0.04 to 0.05 OR 0.16 to 0.18 min (dual acceptable range due to the form of E(t) admitting two consistent readings of the mean, t̄ = ∫t·E(t)dt).