Observation of the experiment conducted by a student to examine the water absorption capacity of soil. Wet soil from the field and dry soil from the river were used for the experiment. It was found that the soil from the field absorbed 66 drops of water while the sand absorbed 92 drops of water. To get the correct inference a)what are the things to be considered while doing
this experiment?
Answers
Explanation:
Properties of soilPercolation rate of water in the soilPercolation is the property of the absorption of water by soilIf we pour a bottle of water in the soil and another bottle of water on the floor, the water on the floor will flow down, whereas the water in the soil will be absorbedThe percolation rate is simply the amount of water absorbed by any soil at any given time periodThe formula to calculate percolation rate is given by,Percolation Rate (ml/min) = amount of water(ml)percolation time(min)amount of water(ml)percolation time(min)\frac{\text{amount of water(ml)}}{\text{percolation time(min)}}For example, if 200 ml of water is percolated through the soil sample in 40 min, we can calculate the rate of percolation as given below.As we know,Rate of Percolation = amount of water(ml)percolation time(min)amount of water(ml)percolation time(min)\frac{\text{amount of water(ml)}}{\text{percolation time(min)}}= 200ml40ml200ml40ml\frac{200 ml}{40 ml} = 5 ml/minAbsorption of Water in SoilTake the sandy soil of extremely small-sized rocks, that is known for the aeration but not for the water retention. On the other side, clay soils have colloidal particles that can hold water, but they are very poor in aeration. The big sized rock particles do not hold any water between them. In fact, any such soil having rock particles that do not hold water in between them is not good for the development of a root system.This is because the holding capacity of water in the soil is abysmal. However, if we are wondering which type of soil retains a maximum amount of water, then the soil is loam. Because loam provides proper capillary spaces and good aeration to hold water, it has a mixture of sand, clay, and decomposed organic material, known as humus. Therefore, this soil is considered to be the best for the growth of plants since it has a good holding capacity of water. Many other factors, such as permeability, infiltration rate, percolation, and more, affect the water absorption of soil also.Water is present in the soil in five different forms. They are gravitational water, capillary water, hygroscopic water, water vapours, and combined water. The ultimate source of all soil water is irrigation or rainwater. An amount of rainwater does not enter the soil, but it is drained away from the soil-surface along the slope. It is known as either run-away water or run-off, which is represented in the below diagram.ImagewillbeuploadedsoonImagewillbeuploadedsoonImage will be uploaded soonLet us understand the absorption of water by soil by an experiment.