ENV 220 Properties of Soil Lab Report

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Southern New Hampshire University *

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220

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Chemistry

Date

Feb 20, 2024

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docx

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Properties of Soil: Agricultural and Water Availability Impacts Lab Report Joshua D. King 02/04/2024
1 Abstract An abstract is generally written after the lab has been completed. In this section, write a one or two-paragraph summary related to the lab activities that were completed. The abstract should include the following elements: Objective : the main point or central question of the lab Methods : a brief statement on what was done during the lab Results : a brief statement on what was found Discussion : a brief statement of what was concluded The objective of this lab was to analyze the natural porosity and particle size of two soil samples and then conduct analysis on the chemical composition and profile of both soil samples. Within this lab, two soil samples were collected to be used in testing porosity, particle size, soil texture, pH, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potash. What was found during this lab was that the collected soil sample showed good porosity when compared with two control subjects of clay and sand. The two soil samples were then tested for nutrient and pH levels where the first soil sample was lacking in nutrients with a pH of 6. The second collected sample had higher levels of phosphorous and potash but was completely lacking in nitrogen. In conclusion, the collected soil samples showed signs of needing added nutrients to properly establish good plant growth. Introduction Provide a brief summary paragraph that includes the following elements: © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company
2 Background : Why is this topic (and the results of the lab activities) of interest to environmental scientists? Purpose : How are the techniques performed in this lab used to evaluate environmental conditions? This topic is important to environmental scientists because the soil horizon and chemical composition has a numerous number of effects on humans and the environment, such as land use for agricultural purposes. The techniques in this lab are used to evaluate environmental conditions by understanding how suitable the surrounding land of an area may be for agricultural purposes using nutrient testing and porosity. The profile of the soil within the area has a detrimental effect of how sustainable the soil will be. Materials and Methods Describe the experimental procedures in enough detail that someone else could repeat the experiment. Include the following elements: Materials : Describe the materials and equipment used in the lab Steps : Briefly explain the steps taken to perform your lab and collect your data, including all safety measures Calculations : Describe all mathematical equations and statistical tests used Materials 1. Goggles 2. Gloves 3. Lab apron 4. Stopwatch 5. Camera 6. Bag of Clay, 1/2c 7. Rapitest Soil Test Kit 8. 3 Plastic Tubes © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company
3 9. Bag of Sand, 1/4c 10. 6 Twist ties 11. Cheesecloth 12. 3 Rubber bands 13. Graduated Cylinder, 100 mL 14. Sheet of white paper 15. 2 Collected soil samples 16. Distilled water 17. Tap water 18. Liquid hand soap 19. Scissors 20. 5 Test tubes 21. Test tube rack 22. Permanent marker 23. 2 Pipettes 24. Ruler 25. 3 Plastic cups 26. Graduated Cylinder, 10 mL Steps A. Activity 1 1. Gather 3 of the test tubes and label them “Sand”, “Clay”, and “Collected Soil”. 2. Fill each test tube halfway with its marked sample. Fill the test tubes with tap water to 1 cm below the rim. 3. While wearing gloves, shake each test tube for 30 seconds. Add one drop of liquid hand soap to each tube. Allow these samples to settle overnight. Cover the tubes with a white sheet of paper to prevent contamination. 4. On Day 2, place the white sheet of paper behind the tubes with the soil samples and observe how settling occurred overnight. 5. Identify the layers in the “Collected Soil” by using the “Sand” and “Clay” tubes as a reference. Notice how the sand settles at the bottom, the silt layer next, and then the clay layer. 6. Using a ruler, measure the depth of the individual layers and record the data in Data Table 1. 7. Measure the total depth of the soil. Do not include the humus layer. 8. Calculate the particle size distribution in the “Collected Soil” sample and record the data in Data Table 1. The percentage © 2016 Carolina Biological Supply Company
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