- The lab partners found the mass of a crucible.
- 3/4 of the crucible was filled with soil.
- The weight was taken again.
- The crucible was put in the fume hood on a clay triangle.
- The Bunsen burner was turned on by the lab partners and the crucible was put over it for 30 min
- The Bunsen burner was taken out and weighed again.
Observations:
- A lot of smoke was put off the crucible, which means a lot of organic material was burned off.
- The crucible was charred around the inside.
- The crucible seemed lighter after the Bunsen burner.
- The soil lost a lost of color after the test and turned white.
The crucible was being charred |
Smoke is being burned into the air |
37.76 grams (Before heating) - 32.62 grams (After Heating) = 5.14 grams of organic matter
5.14 Grams of Organic Matter / 37.76 grams of total soil * 100 to make a % = 13.61% organic matter
It is necessary for the soil and the crucible to be measured so the crucible's weight can be subtracted from the overall weight to leave only the soil's weight less. This is a way to increase accuracy when measuring so correct data is collected.
It is very important to have organic materials in soil. 1. Organic matter is a reservoir of nutrients that can be released to the soil. This helps plants grow and survive. 2. Organic matter behaves somewhat like a sponge, with the ability to absorb and hold up to 90 percent of its weight in water. A great advantage of the water-holding capacity of organic matter is that the matter will release most of the water that it absorbs to plants. 3. Organic matter causes soil to clump and form soil aggregates, which improves soil structure. With better soil structure, permeability improves, in result improvs the soil's ability to take up and hold water.