wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

soil study guide

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 13mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is the name for the different soil layers?

a)

soil profile

b)

horizons

c)

soil layer

d)

horizontalists

2.

Exposure to rain and oxygen causes the metal minerals to rust and fall apart. This is an example of;

a)

mechanical weathering

b)

chemical weathering

3.

What is organic matter made of?

a)

decayed plants and animals

b)

dirt

c)

acid rain

d)

weathered rocks

4.

What kind of soil conservation method helps stop erosion and does not use plowing?

a)

terracing

b)

wind breaks

c)

strip cropping

d)

no-till

5.

What kind of soil conservation method plows hills parallel to slopes to reduce speed of the water flow down the hill?

a)

wind breaks

b)

contour farming

c)

strip cropping

d)

no-till

6.

What is the color of soils that have high organics?

a)

dark

b)

light

c)

red

d)

green

7.

What horizon letter contains less organic material and has nutrients that have been leached from the topsoil?

a)

horizon a

b)

horizon b

c)

horizon c

d)

horizon d

8.

What does soil contain?

a)

minerals, air, and water

b)

minerals, organic material, water, and air

c)

rocks, dirt, stuff, and organisms

d)

air, organisms, rocks, and water

9.

What does soil color depend on?

a)

organic matter content

b)

drainage conditions

c)

degree of oxidation or extent of mineral oxidation

d)

all of these

10.

What are the three soil texture sizes?

a)

gravel, minerals, and sand

b)

sand, silt, and clay

c)

silt, gravel, and clay

d)

water, rocks, and air

11.

What is the measure of how acidic or basic things are?

a)

pH

b)

phosphorus

c)

nutrients

d)

acidity

12.

What nutrient is responsible for rapid plant growth and healthy green leaves?

a)

nitrogen

b)

phosphorus

c)

potassium

13.

What nutrient is responsible for helping plants grow and making strong stems?

a)

nitrogen

b)

phosphorus

c)

potassium

14.

What nutrient is responsible for helping plants grow strong and helping them produce flowers and fruit?

a)

nitrogen

b)

phosphorus

c)

potassium

15.

What are the ways to reduce soil erosion?

a)

terraces

b)

contour plowing

c)

wind breaks

d)

strip cropping

16.

How can you tell the texture of soil?

a)

rubbing the soil between fingers

b)

grinding it

c)

stepping on it

d)

looking at it

17.

What kind of strength does wet soil have?

a)

medium

b)

low

c)

high

18.

What is most of the chemistry of the Pennsylvania soils?

a)

neutral

b)

not acidic

c)

acidic

19.

Which horizon is rich in organics?

a)

subsoil

b)

topsoil

20.

Breaking off pieces of rock is what?

a)

soil

b)

erosion

c)

weathering

d)

corrosion

21.

Rocks being dissolved by wind or water is what?

a)

erosion

b)

weathering

c)

acid rain

d)

corruption

22.

Red soil indicates what?

a)

iron oxidation

b)

copper oxidation

c)

rock oxidation

d)

gold oxidation

23.

Green soil indicates what?

a)

iron oxidation

b)

copper oxidation

c)

gold oxidation

d)

granite oxidation

24.

It is important for soil to hold water because...

a)

the plants will be dehydrated

b)

the plants will grow to be blue

c)

the plants will grow to be buff

d)

the plants can grow and thrive

25.

What is the main ingredient in soil?

a)

air

b)

minerals

c)

sand

d)

rocks