B6 Soils
- Created by: Qiao-Chu
- Created on: 12-04-13 10:00
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- Soils
- Types of soil
- Sandy soil
- Large mineral particles so large pores, high air content, very permeable
- Clay soil
- Tiny particles packed tightly, very few pores, low air content and low permeability, retain more water because water molecules cling to particles
- Loam soil
- Mixture of sand and clay particles, properties depend on relative amounts of types of particles
- Other
- Most soils contain humus - decomposed dead organic matter helps support soil life
- Sandy soil
- Experiments to determine structure of soil sample
- Measure air content
- 1. Loosely pack sample of soil into beaker or test tube and measure volume
- 2. Fill pipette with known volume of water and add to beaker gradually, allowing seep into soil
- 3. Continue until water reaches top of soil sample
- 4. Find out how much water added, equal to volume of air
- Measure water content
- 3. Take mass again, difference is mass of water
- 1. Take mass of small sample of soil
- 2. Heat sample to 105 degrees Celsius until constant mass reached, boil off water in soil
- Measure humus content
- 1. Take mass of small sample of soil
- 2. Heat soil sample to 550 degrees Celsius for two hours to burn all humus from sample
- Take mass again, difference is mass of humus
- Measure air content
- Types of soil
- Measure water content
- 3. Take mass again, difference is mass of water
- 1. Take mass of small sample of soil
- 2. Heat sample to 105 degrees Celsius until constant mass reached, boil off water in soil
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