Soil Investigation #3 - Soil Profiles

Objective: To classify soil samples by particle size
Purpose: To see how a mixture of material types affects soil properties

Procedure #1
•Look at your soil sample and make observations
•Observe color type and size of particles
•Estimate the composition of your sample based on particle size
•Use the triangle diagram to classify your soil

Procedure #2

use the Flow chart to ID your soil

Procedure #3 

•Put the soil into your water bottle. You only need to fill about ½ way if you have lots of soil.
•Put 1 level teaspoon of Calgon into the bottle and enjoy the smell (Fiona)
•Fill until the bottle is about ¾ full
•Place the lid on tightly
•Shake vigorously for 2-3 minutes
•Observe your bottle after 2 minutes and again at 5 minutes
•Place bottle aside to allow particles to settle by particle size

Analysis Questions

What type of soil did you have?
•
•Describe some properties of this type of soil.
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•Which method do you think was the most accurate? Explain why?
•
•Why was Calgon added to the soil?

Nitrogen and Phosphorous Cycles

• Sketch out the basic water cycle
• Sketch out the basic carbon cycle
• What is the role of carbon in ecology?

• What is the role of Nitrogen in ecology?
• What is the role of Phosphorous in ecology?
• Define nitrogen fixing

Soils Investigation #2 - Particle Size

Objective: To determine the flow rate and water retention capacity for different soil types.

Purpose: To understand the effect of particle size on flow rate and water retention

Part One:  Write your hypothesis

• Manipulated Variable: Particle Size (Soil Type)
• Responding Variable: Drain Rate
• Controlled Variables: Amount of soil, amount of water

Part Two: Write your hypothesis

• Manipulated Variable: Particle Size (Soil Type)
• Responding Variable: Water Retention
• Controlled Variable: Amount of soil, amount of water

Equipment: Graduated Cylinder, Funnel,Filter Paper, Beaker, Sand, Silt, Clay, Timer

   

Procedure

1. Measure 40 ml of water in the graduated cylinder. Pour into the beaker and set aside.
2. Fold the filter paper in half, then in half again. Place into the funnel and fold open.
3. Place funnel into the Graduated Cylinder
• First trial is filter paper only- pour water through and record
4. Measure two LEVEL teaspoons of sand and place into the filter paper funnel
5. Record observations of initial conditions
6. Pour the water from the beaker into the funnel so it will flow through the soil into the cylinder. Make sure your water does NOT rise above your filter paper.
7. Start the timer as you start pouring. Try to pour at a consistent rate and make sure the water is always above soil.
8. Record the amount of water in the graduated cylinder at prescribed times
9. Repeat for the other types of soil. Get a new piece of filter paper for each trial.

  Observations:

Note the appearance, texture, composition of your soil samples before and after each trial.  Ensure you break up the used sample to observe the interior as well as the exterior at the end of each trial.

Calculations

Calculate the water retention: how much water was left IN the SOIL at the end of your trial?

•  Water Retention = 40 ml – (water in graduated cylinder) – (water in filter paper) – (water still in beaker after 8min)

Graphing and Analysis

1. Graph your data – create a volume vs time graph for all four trials. Use different colors or symbols for the different trials
2. Describe the relationship show on your graph from each trial.  
3. Were any results surprising to you? Explain.
4. Why did you do a trial with filter paper only?
5. Do you think this is/is not a controlled variable? Explain your reasoning?

Conclusion

Write two conclusions

• Relationship between particle size and flow rate
• Relationship between particle size and retention

Application

• Which soil type do you think is best for farm land? Explain your reasoning.
• Provide one example each for where you think clay rich, sand rich and silt rich soil would be useful

  

Soils #1 - Surface tension. Notes

Key terms

Adhesion
Cohesion
Capillary Action
Surface Tension

Differentiation/Separation Notes

Methods presented for separating materials in a mixture from last time:

Filtration - Particle Size
Distillation - Boiling Point
Crystallization - Freezing Point
Partial Melting - Melting Point (similar to crystallization, just other direction)
Weight - Density separation, i.e. panning for gold, placers on rivers.

Nova Saving the Dead Sea

 Video for today .  We will talk sinkholes and applications on Monday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY3d3Onr3bo

Two ages of civilization followed by ores in Washington

A pair of videos to get us started on Ores

1. Go to this link and complete the Mineral Distribution in Washington exercise.  The image shows the location of ore deposits in Washington, and the questions require you to consider how the melting points and/or densities may affect the distribution here in Washington.