The relation between the clay content of certain physical properties of a soil

A simple experimental method has been described for measuring certain physical constants of soil, using small brass boxes into which soil passing a sieve of 100 meshes to the inch has been packed by hand. The quantities determined are:

(1) The weight of unit volume (100 c.c.s.) of air-dry soil, or the apparent specific gravity.

(2) Amount of water taken up by unit weight of soil.

(3) Pore space.

(4) Specific gravity of the soil.

(5) The volume expansion of unit volume (100 c.c.) of soil when saturated.

The results for one soil only are given, and discussed, to illustrate the method. With the co-operation of the Science Masters Association it is being applied to a number of soils by various schools.

The particular soil used was obtained in six depths as follows: 0–6–12″, 12–18″, 18–24″, 2–3′, 3–4′, and the above constants were determined on each depth. It was shown that (1) and (4) varied inversely with the percentage of clay in the soil, while (2), (3), and (5) varied directly with the clay percentage. The effect on the constants of the larger quantities of organic, matter present in the top two layers of soil was, weight for weight, approximately equal to that of the clay, except in the volume expansion results where the effect if any was within experimental error.

It is possible that the fraction fine silt II, whose upper limit of diameter is ·005 mm., has similar effects to the clay fraction.