Question

Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and other one labelled as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): Rice water starch does not give sufficient stiffness with pliability.
Reason (R): The size of the grain is too small to make it a proper stiffening agent.
In light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
• B. Both (A) and (R) are false.
• C. (A) is correct but (R) is false.
• D. (A) is false but (R) is true.

Hint:

Small starch granules (like rice) penetrate fabrics to provide pliable stiffness.
Large starch granules (like potato) coat only the surface, resulting in a stiff but brittle fabric finish.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Starching is a wet-finishing process used to add body, stiffness, and smoothness to cotton and linen fabrics.
Different starch sources (rice, wheat, potato, maize) have different granule sizes, which affect their stiffening properties.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
- Assertion (A): Rice starch has the smallest granule size (2 to 8 microns) among common plant starches.
Because of this small size, rice starch can easily penetrate the spaces between the cotton yarns instead of just coating the surface.
This results in excellent, crisp stiffness combined with high flexibility (pliability).
Therefore, rice starch is considered the best starch for cotton fabrics.
This makes the statement in Assertion (A) false.
- Reason (R): The small size of the starch granule is actually a benefit, not an impediment.
The small granules can penetrate the fiber structure, providing uniform, durable stiffness without making the fabric brittle.
Therefore, the statement in Reason (R) is also false.
Thus, both Statement (A) and Statement (R) are false.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are false, corresponding to option (B).