Does moisture content depend on the amount of sample used???

Question

Does moisture content depend on the amount of sample used???

Answer 1

This depends on how you define moisture content.  

If moisture content is define as a percentage or other similar concentration component (ppm, etc) then it may change slightly as samples are generally not identical just similar.

On the other hand, if you are measuring the amount of moisture in a sample volume (say a truck load), then yes it will change as you change the amount of sample used.

To relate this further.  If a sample is approximately 17% moisture, then it is approximately 17% moisture if the sample is 100 pounds or 1000 pounds.  However, if you have to move the moisture, a 100 pound sample that is 17% moisture contains 17 pounds of water, while the 1000 pound sample has 170 pounds of water.  One person can physically carry 17 pounds of water in a five gallon bucket (water has a density 8.3 pounds per gallon) but would find it more difficult to dispose of 170 pounds of water rapidly with the same 5 gallon bucket.