Properties of Soil

What property of soil could be tested by rubbing soil between fingers?

• color

• ability to retain water

• weathering

• texture

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

• sand

• silt

• clay

• loam

A student wanted to investigate which type of soil retains the most water.  She put 200 mL of water in each type of soil and measured how much water came through the soil after 1 hour.  The results are shown above.  
According to the diagram above, which soil retains the least amount of water?

• Red Soil

• Clay Soil

• Sandy Soil

• Black Soil

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

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

How do you find the texture of soil?

• use a spring scale

• observe color of particles

• rub particles between fingers

• taste particles

What property of soils is the student most likely examining with this procedure?

• F The differences in texture between wet and dry soils

• G How well different soils retain water

• H How much water is needed to dissolve different soils

• J The amount of time it takes different soils to dry

Which sample can hold more water right or left? Why

• The soil on the left because it has less texture.

• The soil on the right because it has more texture.

• The soil on the left because it has larger particles.

• The soil on the right because it has smaller particles

Which soil sample retains the most water?

• A

• B

• C

• D

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

To test which type of soil best supports plant life, which variable should be the one to change? 

• the type of soil used

• the type of seed planted

• the type of soil used and the type of seed planted

• the amount of sunlight

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3