The moisture removed during drying is –

✅ Explanation: Free moisture is the water that is loosely held within a material and can be easily removed by drying. It is not chemically bound to the material and can readily evaporate.

📌 Other Options Explanations:
-Option A (Equilibrium moisture): This is the moisture content at which a material neither gains nor loses moisture in a given environment.
-Option C (Bound moisture): This is the water that is tightly bound to the material and cannot be easily removed.