Properties of Soil

Which type of soil can hold the greatest amount of water?

• sand
• silt
• clay
• loam

Ellen grabs a topsoil sample in her hand. She rolls it into a ball. The soil feels gritty and the ball falls apart. What property of soil is Ellen testing?

• color

• texture

• ability to support plant growth

• water retention

This type of soil is sticky when wet and hard when dry. 

• clay
• silt
• sand
• gravel

If Carol poured 500 mL of water into the soil and 400 mL can now be found in the jar, then the other 100 mL must have been-

• retained

• drained

• lost in space

• in the bathroom sink

Many plants cannot grow in sandy soil. Why is this true?

• Sandy soil does not hold enough water.
• Air cannot pass through sandy soil.
• Roots cannot easily push through sandy soil.
• Sandy soil has too many nutrients.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Which of the following is NOT one of the three types of soil?

• clay
• sand
• silt
• mud

_______ is the type of soil used most often with plants and on farms. It is a mixture of clay, sand, and silt.

• loam
• humus
• soil
• dirt

When plants, animals, and other organisms die, they break down and become part of the soil. What is this part of the soil called?

• sand
• silt
• clay
• humus

Which of the following is the largest particle in soil?

• sand
• silt
• humus
• clay

Soil is made of

• weathered rocks and minerals
• dead plants and animals
• air and water
• all of the above