wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

NEW

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Soil

Total questions: 15

Worksheet time: 30mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
What is HUMUS made from?
a)
Chick-Peas
b)
The remains of decayed plants and animals
c)
Beans
d)
Cheese
2.

Are there minerals in soil?

a)

Yes

b)

No

3.
What are the three components of soil?
a)
insects, sand, topsoil
b)
clay, sand, humus
c)
topsoil, subsoil, bedrock
d)
earthworms, sand, silt
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?
a)
sand
b)
silt
c)
clay
d)
humus
5.
Which layer is the bottom of the soil profile?
a)
C - Partially Weathered Parent Material
b)
D - Separated rock
c)
R - Bedrock
d)
A - Topsoil
6.
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.
7.
Soil is made of
a)
weathered rocks and minerals
b)
dead plants and animals
c)
air and water
d)
all of the above
8.
Which layer of soil are these roots growing in?
a)
subsoil
b)
topsoil
9.
Humus is important because...
a)
It contains toxic waste
b)
It contains acids and bases
c)
It breaks down rocks
d)
It helps plants grow
10.

Which of the following processes will most likely contribute to the development of soil?

a)

Volcanic eruptions that make new land

b)

Building up of snow in very cold areas

c)

Migration of animals to warmer climates

d)

Breaking down of rock by wind, water, and ice

11.

Soil is composed of all of these natural materials EXCEPT

a)

weathered rock

b)

plant matter

c)

plastic substances

d)

animal remains

12.

Rocks near the ocean get broken into smaller pieces. What causes this change to these rocks?

a)

Leaves falling from trees

b)

Clouds forming in the sky

c)

Water crashing against the rocks

d)

Salt dissolving in the water

13.

The weathering of rocks into small pieces forms what natural resource?

a)

Minerals

b)

Water

c)

Coal

d)

Soil

14.

How do plants contribute to the formation of soil? Plants

a)

cover the soil and shade it from sunlight.

b)

die, decompose and become part of the soil.

c)

use soil to grow and develop over time.

d)

support the animal life in the soil.

15.

A student exploring the formation of soil put rocks in a plastic jar of water and shook it. Afterwards, there were small pieces of broken rock in the water. What process in the formation of soil does this model?

a)

Weathering of earth materials

b)

Decay of plant matter

c)

Formation of various minerals

d)

Mixing of water and air