ACTIVITY
Lab Worksheet
Hypotheses
Activity 1.Soil Sample A will be 30% silt, 50% sand, and 20% clay
Activity 2. I think the Sand will been the most porous. Soil Sample A will be second most. And the clay will be the least porous. The sand will allow the most air and water thru. I believe that Soil Sample A has a larger amount of Silt and Sand in it so that will be second most. The clap does not let much water or air thru and from my reading it seems like it will be the least porous.
Activity 3. I think that Soil Sample A will have the higher PH level cause of the regular water it receives in addition to the bug and plant life being diverse. Soil sample B came from an open field at the park where not much is growing or stimulating the soil so I think it will have a lower PH level
Activity 4.
I believe soil sample A will have a higher nutrient level because I got that sample from my flower beds. Soil sample B will have a lower nutrient level because I pulled it from my local park where not much has been done to the soil.
Observations/Data Tables
Data Table 1. Particle Size Distribution and Soil Type
| Depth of Clay Layer (cm) | Depth of Silt Layer (cm) | Depth of Sand Layer (cm) | Total Depth (cm) | %Clay | %Silt | %Sand | Soil Texture | |
| Soil Sample A | 0cm | 1cm | 3.5cm | 4.5cm | 0% | 22% | 78% | Loamy Sand |
|---|
Data Table 2. Determination of Soil Porosity
| Time Taken for First Drop to Emerge from Column (s) | |
| Sand Sample | 7 sec |
|---|---|
| Clay Sample | 5 min 40 sec |
| Soil Sample A | 59 sec |
continued on next page
Data Table 3. pH Comparison of Soil Samples
| Soil Sample A | Soil Sample B(Location Description: Local Park) | |
| pH | 7.0 Neutral | 6.0 Acid |
|---|
Data Table 4. Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potash Comparison in Soil Samples
| Nitrogen | Phosphorus | Potash | |
| Soil Sample A | High | High | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil Sample B | Low | High | High |
Photographs
Activity 1.Activity 2.
Activity 3.Activity 4.
Lab Questions
Please answer the following entirely in your own words and in complete sentences: Introduction
Background—What is important to know about the topic of this lab? Use at least one outside source (other than course materials) to answer this question. Cite the source using APA format. Answers should be 5–7 sentences in length.
[Write your answers here]
Outcomes—What was the main purpose of this lab?
[Write your answers here]
Hypotheses—What were your hypotheses for the activities of this lab? Identify each hypothesis clearly, and explain your reasoning.
[Write your answers here]
Materials and Methods
Using your own words, briefly describe what materials and methods you used in each of the activities. Your answer should be sufficiently detailed so that someone reading it would be able to replicate what you did. Explain any measurements you made.
[Write your answers here]
Discussion
Based upon the results of each activity, explain whether you accepted or rejected your hypotheses and why.
[Write your answers here]
What important information have you learned from this lab? Use at least one outside source (scholarly for full credit) to answer this question. Cite the source using APA format.
Answers should be 5–7 sentences in length.
[Write your answers here]
What challenges did you encounter when doing this lab? Name at least one.
[Write your answers here]
8. What additional information would you need to know, beyond what you did in this lab, to
determine whether a farm would be agriculturally productive or not? Provide at least 3 examples.
[Write your answers here]
Literature Cited
9. List the references you used to answer these questions. (Use APA format, and alphabetize by the last name.)
[Write your answers here]