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Worksheetssoil
Total questions: 35
Worksheet time: 45mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
What are the three components of soil?
a)
insects, sand, topsoil
b)
clay, sand, humus
c)
topsoil, subsoil, bedrock
d)
earthworms, sand, silt
2.
Which of the following is NOT one of the three layers of soil?
a)
topsoil
b)
undersoil
c)
subsoil
d)
bedrock
3.
Which of the following is NOT one of the three types of soil?
a)
clay
b)
sand
c)
silt
d)
mud
4.
_______ is the type of soil used most often with plants. It is a mixture of clay, sand, and silt.
a)
loam
b)
humus
c)
mud
d)
dirt
5.
Humus is.....
a)
the dead parts of plants and animals in soil.
b)
A food we eat with pretzels.
c)
The tiny particles inside of soil
d)
The roots that come off of a plant and live in soil.
6.
Ellen grabs a topsoil sample in her hand. She rolls it into a ball. The soil feels gritty and the ball falls apart. What part of the topsoil most likely made the topsoil feel gritty?
a)
clay
b)
sand
c)
silt
d)
humus
7.
When plants, animals, and other organisms die, they break down and become part of the soil. What is this part of the soil called?
a)
sand
b)
silt
c)
clay
d)
humus
8.
Which of the following is the largest particle in soil?
a)
sand
b)
silt
c)
humus
d)
clay
9.
Many plants cannot grow in clay soil. Why is this true?
a)
Clay soil does not have many nutrients.
b)
Roots cannot easily push through clay soil.
c)
Water doesn't drain well through clay.
d)
All of these choices.
10.
You dig a small hole in the soil and the next day it rains. The hole fills with water, but does not empty even after several days of dry weather. What is the soil mostly made of?
a)
clay
b)
sand
c)
humus
d)
silt
11.
Many plants cannot grow in sandy soil. Why is this true?
a)
Sandy soil does not hold enough water.
b)
Oxygen cannot pass through sandy soil.
c)
Roots cannot easily push through clay soil.
d)
Sandy soil has too many nutrients.
12.
Which layer of soil are these roots growing in?
a)
subsoil
b)
topsoil
13.
What is a soil problem all farmers face?
a)
soil hardening
b)
soil erosion
c)
soil spoiling
d)
soil pollution
14.
How would you describe the texture of "sandy" soil?
a)
sticky
b)
gritty
c)
smooth
d)
slimy
15.
Decayed organic material turns into dark colored material called __.
a)
litter
b)
clay
c)
humus
d)
soil
16.
Are there minerals in soil?
a)
Yes
b)
No
17.
True or false:
We end up eating the minerals that are in soil.
We end up eating the minerals that are in soil.
a)
true
b)
false
18.
Which of the following best describes soil erosion?
a)
A. the breakdown of soil by chemicals
b)
A. the improvement of soil quality by fertilizers
c)
A. the breakdown of soil by drought
d)
A. the movement of soil by wind or water
19.
Which type of soil can hold the greatest amount of water?
a)
Sand, because it has the biggest particles.
b)
Silt, because its particles are smaller than sand.
c)
Clay, because its particles are very small.
d)
Loam, because it is a combination of different types of soil.
20.
Why is topsoil darker than all other levels of soil?
a)
It contains all the darker colored minerals
b)
It contains volcanic rock
c)
It contains more organic matter
d)
It contains bits of burned trees
21.
The three main types of soil listed in order from smallest to largest grain size are clay, sand, and silt
a)
True
b)
False
22.
Humus usually gives soil a _________ color.
a)
Light
b)
Medium
c)
Dark
d)
Purple
23.
Pick the TRUE statement:
a)
Topsoil is a type of soil
b)
Loam is a layer of soil
c)
Loam is a type of soil
d)
Topsoil is a layer of bedrock
24.
Water gets into the cracks and crevices of rock and freezes, causing the rock to break and occasionally even shatter
a)
Erosion
b)
weathering
c)
decomposition
25.
Decomposition helps plants because
a)
it makes the soil smell bad
b)
adding nutrients to the soil that plants need
c)
it doesn't help the plants
26.
Rotting or breaking down material into smaller parts is called
a)
decomposition
b)
erosion
c)
weathering
d)
soil
27.
Movement of rocks and soil by wind, water, or ice, people and animals is called
a)
Decompostion
b)
Erosion
c)
Weathering
d)
Deposition
28.
Water flows from a river and picks up rocks and sediment with the current.
a)
weathering
b)
erosion
c)
decomoposition
29.
If you have 50% clay, 10% silt, and 40% sand, what type of soil do you have?
a)
silty clay
b)
clay loam
c)
clay
d)
sand
30.
Layers of soil are also known as:
a)
Soil Profiles
b)
Soil Horizons
c)
Soil sheets
d)
Soil cores
31.
Which of the following is the most important soil formation factor
a)
Time
b)
Climate
c)
Slope
d)
Organisms
32.
Part of a plant that prevents topsoil from being eroded
a)
roots
b)
stems
c)
leaves
d)
flowers
33.
Process of changing one steep field into a series of smaller, flatter fields is called
a)
terracing
b)
no-tillf arming
c)
contour plowing
d)
cover crops
34.
Process of land becoming a desert
a)
erosion
b)
habitat
c)
soil conservation
d)
desertification
35.
What is the layer of soil just below the topsoil?
a)
soil
b)
subsoil
c)
topsoil
d)
terrace farming
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