SOIL MECHANICS LABORATORY

MID-TERM EXAM
Name: _____________________________
Subject/Section: _____________________

Date: ___________________
Instructor: _______________

Part I. Encircle the letter/s for the correct answer/s.

1) Water content is the amount of water in the soil pores relative to the
a. Moist weight of the soil
b. Wet weight of the soil
c. Dry weight of the soil
2) The specific gravity is the ratio of the
a. weight of the solids to the weight of water
b. weight of water to the weight of the solids
c. weight of solids to the weight of an equal volume of water
3) The specific gravity of most soils is nearly
a. 2.7
b. 3.0
c. 1.0
4) The density of water is
a. 1 gram per cubic centimeter or 1000kg/m3
b. 1.2 gram per cubic centimeter
c. 9.81 grams per cubic centimeter
5) Particle size distribution of coarse-grained soils is found using
a. Sieve analysis
b. Hydrometer test
c. None of the above
6) The soil retained in the pan of a standard sieve analysis test consists of
a. clay and silt
b. sand and clay
c. silt and sand
7) The particle size distribution of a fine-grained soil is found using
a. Sieve analysis test
b. Hydrometer test
c. None of the above

8) Particle size distribution is conventionally plotted on

a. A bar chart
b. Semi-log Chart
c. Arithmetic scale chart
9) D10 means
a. the soil diameter is 10mm
b. particle size that is 10% finer
c. particle size greater than 10% finer
10) The average grain size diameter of the soil is represented by
a. D60
b. D10
c. D50
11) A well graded soil is one in which the soil contains
a. Missing soil size
b. Wide and evenly distributed soil size
c. A single soil size
12) The grain size distribution curve of a gap graded soil usually shows
a. a smooth curve
b. a straight line
c. one or more humps
13) Poorly graded soils are sorted by
a. water
b. glaciers
c. wind
14) Which law is used in determining the grain size of the fine-grained soils.
a. Darcys law
b. Newtons Law
c. Stokes law
15) If the viscosity of water increases because of temperature changes, the diameter
of the soil calculated from Stokes law could be
a. larger
b. smalller
c. no change
16) The greater the time a particle takes to settle, the
a. greater its size
b. lesser its size
c. no change in size

17) Does the hydrometer test give the true size of the particles of fine-grained soils?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Do not know
18) Which soil state has the lowest water content?
a. Solid
b. Semi-Solid
c. Plastic
d. Liquid
19) At which soil state can the soil be molded into any desired shape without
rupture?
a. Solid
b. Semi-solid
c. Plastic
d. Liquid
20) The water content at which the soil changes from a plastic to semi-solid is known
as the
a. Semi-solid Limit
b. Plastic Limit
c. Shrinkage Limit
d. Plasticity Index
21) A soil with high strength, brittle (sudden) fracture is in which state?
a. Semi-solid
b. Plastic
c. Liquid
22) The liquidity index is used to give a relative measure of
a. color
b. soil strength and deformation
c. particle size
23) As a soil changes from a plastic to a semisolid state, the volume
a. decreases
b. increases
c. montmorillonite
24) The swelling and shrinkage capacity of soil is determined from the
a. Plastic Limit
b. Liquid Limit
c. Shrinkage Limit

25) The liquid limit can be determined by the

a. Rolling Method
b. Cassagrandes Cup Method
c. Sieve Test
d. Fall Cone Test
26) The number of blows at which the liquid limit is determined using the Casagrande
Cup Method is
a. 12.5
b. 40
c. 25
27) How high (mm) does the cup drop in the Casagrande Cup Method?
a. 10
b. 12
c. 25
28) The groove in the Casagrande Cup Method must close over a distance (mm) of
a. 25
b. 10
c. 12.5
29) The shortcomings of the Casagrande Method are
a. Soils of low plasticity slide will shock, rather than flow plastically
b. The operator can make a groove in the soil of any size, affecting the
outcome
c. Sensitivity to operator
30) The mass of the cone in a liquid limit test using the Fall Cone Method is
a. 240 grams
b. 80 grams
c. 100 grams
31) The mass of the core in a plastic limit test using the Fall Core Method is
a. 240 grams
b. 80 grams
c. 100 grams
32) The liquid and plastic limits are determined from the Fall Core Test at a
penetration of
a. 25 mm
b. 20 mm
c. 35 mm

Part II. Problem Solving

1) A sample of a dry coarse-grained material of mass 500 grams was shaken through a
nest of sieves and the following results were obtained:
Sieve No.
4
10
20
40
100
200
Pan

Opening (mm)
4.75
2.00
0.85
0.425
0.15
0.075

Mass Retained (grams)

0
14.8
98
90.1
181.9
108.8
6.1

a. Plot the particle size distribution curve

b. Determine (1) the effective size, (2) the average particle size, (3) the
uniformity coefficient of curvature
c. Determine the textural composition of the soil
(i.e., the amount of gravel, sand, etc.)
2) A liquid limit test conducted on a soil sample in the Casagrande cup device gave the
following results:
Number of Blows

10

19

23

27

40

Water Content (%)

60.0

45.2

39.8

36.5

25.2

Two determinations for the plastic limit gave water contents of 20.3% and 20.8%.
Determine (a) the liquid limit and plastic limit, (b) the plasticity index, (c) the liquidity
index if the natural water content is 27.4%, and (d) the void ratio at the liquid limit, if
Gs = 2.7. If the soil were to be loaded to failure, would you expect a brittle failure?
3) A soil sample weighing 50 gram was placed in a shrinkage mold and oven dry at a
constant temperature of 105C for 2 hrs. after oven drying it was found out that it
change its volume from 15ml to 14ml, using mercury. If its shrinkage limit is 35,
calculate the weight of soil after oven drying.

4) Correction factor = 0.02

TIME
(min)

0.5
1
2
5
15
30
60

L
(cm)

13.5
13.5
14.2
14.55
14.7
14.75
14.75

Ws = 50 gram

TEMP
Gw

0.99627
0.99627
0.99627
0.99627
0.99598
0.99598
0.99598

Viscosity = 28C= 8.36 millipoise

29C = 8.18 millipoise

HYDROMETER

READING

28
28
28
28
28
28
28

CORR.
HYD.
READING

MAX. GRAIN
IN
SUSPENSION
(mm)

17
17
13
10.75
10
9.5
9.5

5) Given the specific data. T = 28C

1
Wt. of bottle + water + soil (grams)
Wt. of bottle + water (grams)
Wt. of dry pycnometer bottle (grams)
Wt. of dry soil (grams)
Specific gravity of water
Specific gravity of soil
Ave. specific gravity of soil

370.5
361.6
115
20
0.9963

2
316.67
307.17
115
25
0.9963

% OF SOIL
IN
SUSPENSION