LABORATORY 6

SOIL PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS (TEXTURE)

INTRODUCTION

Each soil is porous mixture of mineral particles, organic matter, air, and water. Its properties depend
on the nature and amount of each consituent. The minerals particles in a typical surface soil in good
condition for plant growth will comprise about one-half of soil’s volume. A useful way to describe
the mineral fraction of soil consists of separating particles into three size categories; sand, silt, and
clay called soil separates. Sands (2.0 – 0.02mm) are the largest, silts (0.02 – 0.002mm) are
intermediate, and clays (less than 0.002 mm) are the smallest mineral particles. Soil texture
describes the proportions of sand, silt, and clay in a soil.

The determination of the proportion of solid particles in different size ranges is called mechanical
analysis. This exercise uses one type of mechanical analysis, the Bouyoucos Hydrometer method, to
separate soil particles into different size ranges based upon their differential setting rate in water.
Two basic principles are combined in this determination are dispersion and sedimentation.

I. Dispersion
Individual soil particles must be separate from each other and remain separated during the
determination of particle size distribution. Since aggregates of solid particles are usually held
together by some kind of binding agent, it is first necessary to remove these substances, or
at least render them ineffective. Once the compound particles in the soil are separated into
individual particles they are said to be dispersed.

Dispersion is achieved by mechanical and chemical means, Mechanical stirring is effective in

dispersing larger aggregates, but is ineffective on small, aggregated clay groups. Chemical
dispersion is required in the case. Sodium hexametaphosphate is an effective chemical
dispersing agent for two reasons:

a. The sodium monovalent cation replaces polyvalent cations (predominately calcium)

usually adsorbed on soil thereby breaking one type of interparticle linkage.

b. The adsorbed sodium cations are highly hydrated and rise the electronegativity of
colloid until these particles repel each other and remain dispersed. The mixture of
dispersed soil particles in water is called a soil suspension.

II. Sedimentation
In sedimentation techniques, the setting rates of dispersed particles in water are measured.
Large particles will settle out of suspension more rapidly tha small particles because small
particles present more specific surface area. Particles exposing more surface area per unit
weight experience greater frictional resistance and hence settle at slower velocities.
OBECTIVE

1. To determine the soil texture by using different methods.

2. To compare the accuracy of the different methods of determination.

APPARATUS AND MATERIALS

Beaker, pipette, hydrometer, thermometer, 1000ml measuring cylinder, baffled stirring cup, cup,
oven, stopper, ruler, sodium hexametaphosphate, hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydroxides.

PROCEDURES

Part 1: determination of soil texture by the feel method

This method is used whenever exact proportions are not needed or when equipment needed to
obtain and exact analysis is not available, such as in the field. It requires considerable practice to
become highly proficient with this method; however, the novice can quickly obtain satisfactory
results by practicing the following technique and making use of the simplified textural triangle
(figure 6.1)

The texture by feel method utilizes two manipulations that allow soil class to be determined

1. First, a moist soil sample is formed into a ribbon. When water is added to soil, the clay
becomes plastic and pliable and can be molded into a ribbon. The length and strength of
this ribbon depend a great deal on the clay content of the soil. This test delineates the tier
of the modified textural triangle I which the sample belongs.
2. Second, the contribution of sand and silt to the sample is estimated by rubbing a small wet
soil into the palm. Sand particles are large enough to fell gritty while the smallest silts feel
exceptionally smooth. This procedure determines which, or if any, prefix is added to the tier
designation.
3. Now, follow the flow diagram in figure 6.1 and practice the technique first on samples for
which the textural class is known. Refine your technique with practice, and then determine
the texture of some unknown samples. Record your results on the data sheet.
Part 2: particle size distribution by Hydrometer Method

1. Weight 50g fine textural soil into a 600ml beaker. Fill the beaker half full with distilled water
and add 5ml of (N) sodium hexametaphosphate.

2. Quantitatively Transfer the mixture into a baffled stirring cup. Place the cup on stirrer and
stir until soil aggregates are broken down. This will usually requires only 5-7 minutes.

3. Quantitatively transfer stirred mixture to a settling cylinder and fill to the lower mark with
room temperature distilled water while the hydrometer is in the liquid.

4. Remove hydrometer, insert a stopper and shake the suspension vigorously in a back and
forth manner to equally distribute all material throughout the liquid. Avoid creating circular
currents in the liquid as they will influences the settling rate.

5. Place cylinder on table and record the time. Gradually insert the hydrometer and read the
hydrometer exactly 40 seconds after shaking was stopped. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until
hydrometer readings within 0.5 g of each other are obtained and record that reading on the
data sheet. (NOTE: the hydrometer is calibrated to read in grams of soil material remaining
in suspension.)

6. Determine the temperature of the suspension. For each degree above 18’C, add 0.25 to the
hydrometer reading. For each degree below 18’C, subtract 0.25 from the hydrometer
reading. This is the corrected hydrometer reading.

7. Re-shake the suspension and place the cylinder on a table where it will not be disturbed.
Take a hydrometer reading exactly two hours later. Correct for temperature as described
above.

8. Following completion of this exercise, the liquid portion can be discarded in sink drains, but
transfer settled materials to a waste receptacle by your instructor.
Part 3: particle size distribution by pipette method

1. Weight 20 g of the fine textured soil into a 600 beaker and add 50 ml distilled water.

2. Add 20 ml of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), stir constantly and heat slowly for 15 minutes.
Continue heating and if a violent reaction occurs, add a few drops of H2O2 until no more
frothing or bubbling occurs.

3. Add 5 ml of sodium hydroxides (NaOH) and add distilled water so that the mixture is about
200 ml. transfer all the content of the mixture into a mixer/stirrer container and stir for 10
minutes.

4. Transfer all the content of the mixture into a 1000 ml measuring cylinder and add distilled
water to bring the volume to 1000 ml. Record the room temperature and mark the cylinder
at 10 cm below the mixture level.

5. Insert a stopper, and shake the suspension vigorously in a back and forth manner to equally
distribute all material throughout the liquid. Place cylinder on table and record the time and
temperature for sedimentation process. (refer to table 6.1).

6. Pipette 20ml suspension at depth 10 cm and transfer the suspension into a weighted
porcelain cup and dry it in the oven (150’C) = weight of silt + clay.

7. Shake the suspension vigorously and at the stated temperature and time pipette out 20ml of
the suspension at depth 10 cm and transfer the suspension into a weighed porcelain cup and
dry it in the oven (105’C) = weight of clay

8. Slowly pour out about ¾ of the suspension and transfer the content into a 600 ml beaker
which is marked 10 cm from the bottom. Wash the sand retained by adding water up to the
600 ml mark and let the suspension stand for sedimentation process. Pour out the
suspension slowly and repeat this process several times untik a clean sand is obtained.
Transfer the sand into a porcelain cup and dry it in the oven = weight of sand.
Sedimentation time of sand and clay at 10 cm depth

Sedimentation time at 10 cm depth

Temperature
Coarse and fine sand clay

25’C 4 min 15.5 sec 7 hr 5.6 min

26’C 4 min 9.7 sec 6 hr 56.2 min
27’C 4 min 4.1 sec 6 hr 46.9 min
28’C 3 min 58.8 sec 6 hr 38.0 min
29’C 3 min 53.8 sec 6 hr 29.3 min
30’C 3 min 48.5 sec 6 hr 20.9 min
31’C 3 min 43.7 sec 6 hr 12.8 min
32’C 3 min 59.0 sec 6 hr 5.0 min
(Table 6.1)
LABORATORY 6: SOIL PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS (TEXTURE)

RESULTS

PART 1: Determination of soil texture by the feel method

sample Ribbon type Wet feel

Texture
No (weak, medium, strong) (smooth, gritty, neither)

Part 2: particle size distribution by Hydrometer Method

1. Soil identification number or name

2. Soil weight G
3. Average of several 40-seconds hydrometer readings G
4. Temperature of suspension, first readings ‘c
5. Corrected 40-seconds hydrometer reading G
6. 2-hour hydrometer reading G
7. Temperature of suspension, second reading ‘c
8. Corrected 2-hour hydrometer reading G
9. Grams of sand (note: The weight of sand in the sample is obtained by G
subtracting line 5 from line 2)
10. Grams of clay (The corrected hydrometer reading at the end of two G
hours represents gramsof clay in the sample since all sand and silts has
already by this time.)
11. Percent sand (line 9 * line 2) x 100 %
12. Percent clay (line 10* line 2) x 100 %
13. Percent silt ( Find the silt by difference. Subtract the sum of the percent %
sand and clay from 100)
14. Soil texture
Part 3: Particle size distribution by pipette method

1. soil identification number or name

2. soil weight (T)
3. temperature of suspension
4. weight of cup
5. oven weight of silt-clay of 20 ml pipette sample (A)
6. weight of cup
7. oven weight of clay of 20 ml pipette sample (B)
8. weight of silt (A – B)(C)
9. weight of sand (D)
10. % clay = B x 1000 x 100/ 20 x T
11. % silt = C x 1000 x 100/ 20 x T

12. % sand = D x 100/ 20 x T

13. Soil texture (refer to figure 6.2 soil texture triangle
QUESTION

1. List an advantage and a disadvantage of using the feel method

-the advantage of using the feel method is we can describe what type of soil which is it is
sand, silt, or even clay.
-the disadvantage of using this method is that the categories of the soil either it is sand, silt
or clay can be wrongly predictable and it take times.
2. What is the common texture of Malaysian soil? Why is it common?
-the common texture of Malaysian soil is clay, because in Malaysian we know that this
country has only 2 over 4 season which is rainfall and dry hahaha and Malayia has Tropicana
twister ermm nyum nyum..
3. What are the textures that contain coarse soil particles?
-the textures that contain coarse soil particles is sandy texture.

CONCLUSION

Throughout from the very first step until the very last of the experiment was reached. We were able
to determine the soil texture through the method of feeling, which allowed us to discover that the
soil sample was mostly clay. The hydrometer allowed us to analyse and get more exact results of
how much sand, silt and clay was actually in the sample.

RECOMMENDATION

This test is performed to determine the type of the soil texture ( sand, silt, and clay). The feel
method, hydrometer method and pipette method is performed to determine the soil texture from
largest size into the smallest size and it is important to get well with this 3 method to find the right
texture of the soil.