Soil Properties

Which of the following is the BEST way to test a soil's ability to hold water?

• adding soil to a beaker full of water and seeing if the soil sinks

• pouring water through a funnel of soil and seeing how much water drips out

• stirring soil into a bowl of water and seeing if the soil disappears

• mixing water with a pile of soil and seeing if the water changes temperature

A student gets soil to plant five bean seeds. Afterward, there is soil left over. Which of the following should the student do with the extra soil?

• Add it to each plant's pot.

• Throw it away in the trash.

• Wash it down the sink.

• Save it for later experiments.

Many different organisms live in soil. Which of the following is most beneficial to the soil?

• Ants

• Centipedes

• Earthworms

• Spiders

Which kind of soil is MOST LIKELY to make puddles of water on its surface?

• clay

• gravel

• rocky

• sandy

Students fill three funnels with sand. They add water to each funnel and record how long it takes 100 mL of water to drain into a beaker under the funnel. The table shows their results.

Which of these explains why the students used a total of three funnels?

• to compare how fast the different materials drain water

• to see if temperature will change how fast the materials drain water

• to see which liquid will drain the fastest

• to catch mistakes made while measuring

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

Which of the following is the BEST description of sand?

• It is tan. It feels gritty in your fingers.

• It is reddish brown. It sticks together when wet.

• It is light brown. It feels like flour. It is a fine powder.

• It is black. It holds a lot of water. It has many nutrients.

A student conducts an investigation using four identical cans, each with a hole in the bottom. The student fills each can with a different type of soil and then adds 200 milliliters (mL) of water to each can.

Some plants have roots that reach very deep underground. Which type of soil will most likely stop water from flowing to the deepest roots of these plants?

• Soil 1

• Soil 2

• Soil 3

• Soil 4

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Soil is a mixture of sediments and

• ice

• insects

• humus

• fossils

The topmost layer of the Earth's crust is covered in soil. However, not all soils have the same properties. Different soils have different colors and textures because of:

• how much water the soil holds.

• amount of humus and minerals in the soil.

• the size of the soil particles.

• how much water the soil holds, amount of humus and minerals in the soil, and the size of the soil particles.

A student plants a seed in a pot filled with rocky soil. The plant is watered daily and placed on a windowsill. After three weeks, the plant has barely grown and looks sickly. Which of the following is the plant MOST LIKELY lacking?

• air

• light

• nutrients

• water

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1