Properties of Soil

A sieve is a container with very small holes in the bottom that are all the same size. What would this tool be useful for?

• Sorting soil by particle size

• Finding the mass of soil

• Growing plants in soil

• Determining soil color

Students tested the capacity of a soil to retain water. They poured 200 mL of water through a funnel holding the soil. How many milliliters of water was retained by the soil sample? (Write the number only)

Students planted 12 bean seeds in each of four different soil samples. The students kept all other conditions the same, grew them for 15 days and recorded the results. Which soil sample produced the tallest plants?

• Sample A

• Sample B

• Sample C

• Sample D

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Students are comparing samples of different soils to the bars on a chart their teacher gave them. What property of soil are they trying to determine using this chart?

• Size

• Texture

• Color

• Shape

If students are investigating the texture of different soil samples, what would be the best procedure to follow?

• Compare each of the samples with a color chart

• Pour water into each of the soil samples

• Attempt to grow plants in each soil sample

• Moisten the samples and rub them with their fingers

Students test the amount of water retained by different types of soil. Equal amounts of soil were added to four funnels with filters, then the same volume of water was poured through each soil sample. To determine the amount of water retained by each soil sample, the student would –

• Add the amount of each soil sample to the volume of water poured in.

• Divide the total volume of water poured in by the number of samples.

• Subtract the volume of water collected from the volume poured in.

• Multiply the volume of water poured in by the number of soil samples.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Which model demonstrates a way to test properties of different soils to determine which type of soil best supports the growth of plants?

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Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Which property of soil could students determine by rubbing a sample between their fingers?

• The texture of the soil

• The soil’s ability to support life

• The color of the soil

• The processes that formed the soil

Students poured 200 mL of water through a soil sample. They collected and measured the water that drained from the soil. The water collected had a volume of 110 mL. How much water did the soil retain? Record your answer in the grid. (Write the number only)

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

Bonus Science Safety Question:

Students are placing different soil samples in front of a fan to see which kind of soil is moved most easily by wind. What piece of safety equipment would be most important during this investigation?

• Fire extinguisher

• Gloves

• First-aid kit

• Goggles