Soil Investigation

Lesson 8B
Name: ____________Nathan Pessoa_________________ Date: _2/8/23____ Hour: __3__

Question
How do chemical and physical factors impact the quality of soil for agriculture?
The way the soil is and maybe how strong it is with it being able to hold a building.
Knowledge Probe

Record where your soil sample was obtained ___Eastern High School (Landscaping Soil) e

You will be investigating your soil sample using the following tests.

Before starting to analyze the soil, pour your soil through a sieve (into your container or onto the newspaper) to
remove any sticks, plant material, and rocks. If sieves are unavailable, remove the unwanted material by hand. If
the soil is not dry, 2 cups (about 500 mL) of the soil should be allowed to dry overnight before completing the lab.

Investigation Plan

Soil Temperature
Soil temperature affects climate, plant growth, the timing of budburst or leaf fall, the decomposition rate of
organic material, and other biological, chemical, and physical processes that take place in the soil.
How do flowers and other plants know when to start growing in the spring? How do farmers know when it is
safe to plant their crops? Soil temperature plays an important role in both of these decisions. Each spring, soil is
heated from above by warmer air and by solar radiation. Once the soil reaches a certain temperature, it is time to
plant and grow.
Figure 1 shows the average soil temperatures across the United States at a depth of 4 inches (approximately 10
cm). This is the depth used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in their Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin. This particular figure shows
data from April 2002. If you look carefully, you can see the isotherms indicating the regions where various
crops such as wheat and corn can develop.
Figure 1 Soil temperatures at a depth of four inches

FHPS Environmental Science, Grand Rapids MI, July 2022 V.1

Page 1
 1. According to the map below, what is the soil temperature for the location your soil was collected?
38 degrees
2. How might this change based on the predicted climate change map from your instructor?
-10%
Read below to understand how the following data points would be collected in the lab. You will not be
completing these tests yourself. There is a sample data set included below.

Protocol to collect Temperature (May or may not be done)

1. Connect a Temperature Probe and the data-collection interface.
2. Obtain a soil sample. Use a long nail, or similar tool, to make a vertical hole in the soil that is 10 cm deep
and which will firmly accommodate a Temperature Probe.
3. Insert the Temperature Probe into the soil to a depth of 10 cm.
4. When the temperature reading stabilizes record the displayed value (to the nearest 0.1ºC) as the soil
temperature 10 cm below the sample surface.

SOIL SALINITY
Soil salinity is a measure of the saltiness of the soil. Many plants have
trouble growing in soil that contains too much salt. High soil salinity
makes it more difficult for plants to get water from the soil and can
interfere with their obtaining the proper nutrients. The table below
provides a general idea of the effect salinity has on plants.

Soil can become saline by the natural weathering of minerals, irrigation,

or run-off from salted roads. Poor drainage and hot, dry weather also
contribute to the build-up of salt in the soil. Sodium chloride, NaCl, is
the most common salt, but others such as calcium chloride, CaCl2, and magnesium sulfate, MgSO4, are often
present as well.

Soil salinity is determined by measuring the electrical conductivity of a soil-water mixture. The higher the
salinity of the soil, the higher the conductivity of this mixture will be.

Protocol to Test Salinity

1. Prepare the water-soil mixture.
a. Place 50 g of soil into a 250 mL beaker.
b. Add 100 mL of distilled water and stir thoroughly.
c. Stir once every three minutes for 15 minutes. Continue with Steps 2–3 while waiting.

2. Connect the Conductivity Probe and the data-collection interface. Set the switch on the Conductivity Probe
box to the 0–20000 µS/cm salinity range (equivalent to 0.20 dS/m).

3. Calibrate the sensor using the 2-point calibration option of the Vernier data-collection program or manually
enter the calibration values as directed by your instructor.

4. Collect salinity data.

a. Place the tip of the electrode into Sample A. The hole near the tip of the probe should be completely
covered by the water-soil mixture.

2
 b. Start data collection.
c. Stop data collection after about 15 seconds.
d. Use the statistics option to determine the mean salinity value.

SOIL pH
When you think of pH, you probably think of acidic and basic solutions. But soil can be acidic or basic, too.
Soil pH, sometimes referred to as soil acidity, can be expressed using the pH scale. The pH scale ranges from 0
to 14. Soils with pH above 7 are basic or sweet. Soils with pH below 7 are acidic or sour. A soil with a pH of 7
is neither acidic nor basic, but is neutral.
The pH of soil is an important factor in determining which plants will grow because it controls which nutrients
are available for the plants to use. Three primary plant nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium – are
required for healthy plant growth. Because plants need them in large quantities, they are called macronutrients.
They are the main ingredients of most fertilizers that farmers and gardeners add to their soil. Other nutrients
such as iron and manganese are also needed by plants, but only in very small amounts. These nutrients are
called micronutrients.
The availability of these nutrients depends not only on the amount but also on the form that is present, on the
rate they are released from the soil, and on the pH of the soil. In general, macronutrients are more available in
soil with high pH and micronutrients are more available in soil with low pH. Figure 1 shows the effect of pH on
the availability of nutrients in the soil.

1. Prepare the water-soil mixture.

a. Place 50 g of soil into a 250 mL beaker. (Use sample from salinity test if available)
b. Add 100 mL 0.01 M CaCl 2 and stir thoroughly.
c. Stir once every three minutes for 15 minutes.
d. After the final stirring, let the mixture settle for about five minutes. This allows the soil to settle out,
leaving a layer of water on top for you to take your pH measurement. Proceed with Step 2 while you are
waiting.

2. Connect the pH Sensor and the data-collection interface. Important: For this experiment, your teacher
already has the pH Sensor in pH soaking solution in a beaker; be careful not to tip over the beaker when
connecting the sensor to the interface.

3. Rinse the pH Sensor with distilled water.

4. Measure the pH.

a. Carefully place the tip of the pH Sensor into the liquid part of the beaker contents. Make sure the glass
bulb at the tip of the sensor is covered by the water. Stir gently.
b. Continue gentle stirring. Note and record the pH value when the reading stabilizes.

3
5. Rinse the pH Sensor with distilled water and return it to its storage container.

CHEMICAL NUTRIENT TESTING

1. Follow the instructions found in your NPK kits to measure the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium in your group’s soil sample.

2. If directed by your teacher, convert your results into a quantitative scale and share your data for
whole-class analysis.

SOIL MOISTURE
Soil moisture is water that is held in the spaces between soil particles. Dry soil is made up of minerals and air
pockets, called pore spaces. A typical volumetric ratio would be 55% minerals and 45% pore space. As water is
added to the soil, the pore spaces begin to fill with water. Soil that seems damp to the touch might now have
55% minerals, 35% pore space, and 10% water. This would be an example of 10% volumetric water content.
The maximum water content in this scenario is 45% because, at that value, all the available pore space has been
filled with water. This soil is referred to as being saturated because, at 45% volumetric water content, the soil
can hold no more water.
Soils collect, store, and release water. Collection occurs as water enters the soil through surface pores in a
process called infiltration.When forces of retention within the soil are greater than removal forces water storage
is possible. Water release takes place when plant uptake, drying, or gravitational forces overcome retention.
Water-holding capacity is the amount of water an area of soil can hold against the force of gravity. The
water-holding capacity of a particular soil is related to its texture. The higher the clay content of a particular
soil, the higher the water-holding capacity.

Soils with a high infiltration rate are easily leached, losing nutrient ions from the layers of soil where roots are
most abundant. Such soils can quickly become infertile without the addition of chemical fertilizers. The liquids
passed through the soil may contain fertilizer salts and pesticides that will pollute the water table and rivers.

Protocol

1. Connect a Soil Moisture Sensor and the data-collection interface.

2. Place your soil sample into the testing chamber.
3. Position the Soil Moisture Sensor. Note: The long axis of the sensor should
be placed horizontally, with the short axis or “blade” oriented vertically as shown in the figure.
a. Use a thin implement such as a flat-bladed trowel to cut a slot in the soil.
b. Place the sensor into the hole, making sure the entire length of the sensor is covered.
c. Press down on the soil along either side of the sensor with your fingers. Continue to compact the soil
around the sensor by pressing down on the soil with your fingers until you have made at least five passes
along the sensor. This step is important, as the soil adjacent to the sensor surface has the strongest
influence on the sensor reading.
4. Start data collection. When the soil moisture reading stabilizes, record the displayed value (in %).
5. When removing the sensor from the soil, do not pull it out of the soil by the cable! Doing so may break
internal connections and make the sensor unusable.

4
SOIL IN A JAR - TEXTURE TEST
Day 1
1. Add soil to your jar until it is about half full.
2. Add water to the jar, leaving about 2.5 cm of space at the top.
3. Add 1 tbsp (15 g) of powdered dishwashing detergent to the jar.
4. Place the lid on the jar and screw it on tightly.
5. Label your jar with the initials of your group’s members, or your group number, so that you can find it
on Day 2 of the lab.
6. Carefully shake your jar for 4-5 minutes to combine the detergent, soil, and water. Ensure that no soil
sticks to the sides or bottom of the jar.
7. Place your jar in the designated location so that you can retrieve it on Day 2.

Day 2

1. Using a ruler, measure the total height of soil in the jar (in centimeters) and record it in the “Total” row
of the appropriate table in your lab notebook.
2. Get on eye level with the jar and identify the three sedimentation layers: Sand is found at the bottom, silt
is in the middle, and the clay layer is at the top.
3. Measure the height of the sand layer only and record it in the appropriate table in your lab notebook.
4. Measure the height of the silt layer only and record it in the appropriate
table in your lab notebook.
5. Measure the height of the clay layer only and record it in the appropriate
table in your lab notebook.
6. Calculate the percentage represented by each layer by dividing the height of
the layer by the total height and multiplying the result by 100.
7. Using your ruler as a straight edge, draw a line from the percentage of each
particle through the soil triangle. The clay line is drawn horizontally from
left to right, the silt line is drawn on a diagonal from the percentage on the
right toward the bottom left of the triangle, and the sand line is drawn
diagonally from the percentage on the bottom toward the top left of the
triangle. The point or section where all three lines meet is the soil texture for your sample.

5
 Observations

Record your qualitative and quantitative observations below.

Use the instructions above to interpret the sample data below. You can also use Google to help
you decide if the data suggests that the soil is optimal for crop growth or not.

Temp Salinity pH N P K Moisture

250 mS 6 Present at Present at Present at 20%

low levels moderate moderate
72 Deg. F (slightly levels levels
saline)

6
 Data Analysis

1. What patterns do you see between the different tests in your soil sample?

2. Do you think that this soil sample would be optimal for growing crops?

Explanation

Answer the investigation question “ How do chemical and physical factors impact the quality of soil for
agriculture?” (Hint - Make a claim about the relationship between the source of the soil and the factors
tested. If the sample was from a farm, flower pot, or vegetable garden, did it have higher nutrient levels?
If a sample was from landscaping soil, did it have lower levels?)

Application
Answer the following questions

1. If a farmer were to grow crops in the same type of soil examined by your group, predict whether
they will likely need to irrigate very frequently, less frequently, or an average amount. Provide
evidence to support your claim using the soil’s CEC, water-holding capacity, and texture.
[Cation-exchange Capacity (CEC): A measure of the amount of positively charged ions (cations) that

7
 can be held by soil. Clay has a high CEC, so soils with higher percentages of clay also have higher
CEC.]

2. Based on the data you collected in the observation Table, explain how a farmer with the same
type of soil could amend their soil to ensure that their crops receive an appropriate amount of
water.

3. Using the data you collected, select a crop from

the data table below that might be successfully
grown in your area given the characteristics of
your soil sample (nutrient levels and pH). Justify
your selection with reasoning. Tip: Fertilizer
composition is usually expressed with the
percentages by volume of nitrogen, phosphorus,
and potassium/ potash (NPK), in that order ( for
example, 15-30-15). The remaining amount (40
percent, in this example) is merely filler. Farmers
and gardeners avoid using unnecessary nitrogen fertilizer not only because it is expensive but also
because runoff can result in decreased oxygen levels in nearby water sources. Think about your
nutrient test results. Were some levels high and others low? What might you want your fertilizer to
contain to address that?]

4. Corn is the largest cash crop in the United States. Corn requires a pH of 6–7 and medium to high
nitrogen levels.
a. Make a claim, with evidence, about your soil sample’s effectiveness at growing corn.

b. Suggest to a farmer with soil similar to your sample what actions they might take to grow
corn or to increase their corn crop yield.