Soil Texture Test

Soil Texture Test

Qualitative Procedure

1) A wad of soil was squeezed between the thumb and forefinger.

2) Water was added because the soil was not moist and formed into a ball.

Types of Soils

• Mostly sandy if soil feels gritty and can not form a ribbon.
• Mostly clay if soil feels sticky and can from a long, unbroken ribbon.
• Mostly silt if the soil is neither gritty or sticky and can be squeezed into short ribbon.

1)  The group determined that the soil was mostly mulch because it was made up on mostly organic matter. The soil, even when moist, was not able to be formed into a ball because of the large pieces. It did not feel sticky but somewhat gritty and was not able to form a ribbon.

Quantitative procedure

1) The group placed 60 mL of soil in the 100 mL cylinder.
2) Water was added to the soil until  it was completely saturated. Then water was added until it reached the 100 mL mark.
3) A hand cover the top of the cylinder as it was shaken, for a minute, until the soil and water were completely mixed. Large lumps were then broken up.
4) The graduated cylinder was kept out for 24 hours to let soils settle out.
5) In cm the height of each layer and the total height of the sample was measured. Sand particles settle out first as the bottom layer. Silt was the middle layer and the tiny clay particles settled on top.

Measurements/Results

1) Total= 16.3 cm
2) Sand- 4.5cm/16.3cm= 27.6%
3) Silt-9cm/16.3cm= 55.2%
4) Clay-2.8cm/16.3cm= 17.2%

• According to the triangle the soil is clay, sandy loam and silt loam. In the qualitative data we did not come up with this result it was said  that our soil was mulch. The soil is consistent with the percolation test because  the water ran through the soil faster than the one with added sand. Our soil had the most  organic matter in our class. Some soils were a potting soil very rich in nutrients and another contained a lot of clay. Different soils form from the different animals and weather that impact and interact with it. There are different types because every soil has  different types of plants it needs to support. The plants probably would prefer an environment with more organic matter considering that made up the majority of our soil.

Day 1


Day 2