Laboratory Exercise 1

Apparent and Real Specific Gravity of the Soil

Name: Lacson, Mc. Arn Loi L. 5BSAE A Date Submitted: December 26 , 2019

I. Introduction
Irrigation shall be done to plants for subject of supplying water. Plants or crops
should have appropriate and sustainable supply of water in order to obtain the optimum
growth and yield of the plants or crop. Irrigation shall be undertaken when there is no
moisture present in the soil that can sustain the water needs of the plant in its production
of foods through photosynthetic process. Also, when soil is determined to be unsaturated
and cannot provide an appropriate amount of water needed by plants.
Apparent and Real Specific Gravity of the Soil are important parameters to
understand when and where to irrigate. We define Apparent Specific Gravity as the ratio
of the weight of a given volume of a dry soil, air and space mass to that of water. While,
from what I have understand, real specific density is the ratio of the compacted soil density
to that of water.
In this laboratory exercise, we will try to determine the apparent and real specific
gravity of soil and try to compare it to publish or given data. I will try to determine if there
is a significance difference with my own results.

II. Objectives
The objectives of this laboratory exercise include:
 To determine the apparent specific gravity of the soil
 To determine the real specific gravity of the soil
III. Methods
The following are the step by step process I did in performing this laboratory exercise.
1. Prepare a shovel and container or cellophane and a shallow cylinder with a
predetermined diameter and height.
2. Find and choose a location to get the soil sample. In my case, I got my sample
in the left bank of the irrigation canal near the Administration building.
3. Put the cylinder in the soil by pressing it and make sure it is undisturbed. Using
shovel, remove it and put it in a cellophane. Seal it to preserve the moisture
content of the sample to determine how much is the moisture content.

4. Prepare 3 samples. Determine the each mass of the samples.

AE 511 Irrigation and Drainage Engineering Laboratory Manual

Date Developed: August 2018 Developed by: Willie Jones B. Saliling Page 2 of 7
5. Using a sun drying method to remove the moisture content of the soil sample.
I dry it for almost 8 hours and assumed that I achieved the dried mass of the
soil sample.

6. I then determine the change in the mass of the samples.

7. I pulverize it to minimize or eliminate the void spaces of the samples.

AE 511 Irrigation and Drainage Engineering Laboratory Manual

Date Developed: August 2018 Developed by: Willie Jones B. Saliling Page 3 of 7
 8. Prepare the cylinder container and put the sample in it. Compressed the soil
by hammering it until the soil is now compacted and if no changes in height is
observed.

9. Measure the change in the height of the compacted soil sample.

10. Do the same procedure with the other samples.

IV. Results and Computation

Final Initial Final Bulk Compacted

Initial mass
Sample mass height Height Diameter Volume Volume
(kg)
(kg (m) (m) (m3) (m3)

0.405 0.3 0.13 0.09 0.055 0.000308859 0.000213825

1
0.41 0.303 0.13 0.09 0.055 0.000308859 0.000213825
2
0.395 0.3 0.13 0.09 0.055 0.000308859 0.000213825
3
0.403333333 0.301 0.13 0.09 0.055 0.000308859 0.000213825
Average

AE 511 Irrigation and Drainage Engineering Laboratory Manual

Date Developed: August 2018 Developed by: Willie Jones B. Saliling Page 4 of 7
 Density
Bulk Density
Sample compacted S.G. Apparent S.G. Real
(kg/m3)
(kg/m3)
1 971.3184239 1403.015501 0.971318424 1.403015501

2 981.0316082 1417.045656 0.981031608 1.417045656

3 971.3184239 1403.015501 0.971318424 1.403015501

Average 974.556152 1407.69222 0.974556152 1.40769222

Computation:
For trial no. 1:

Bulk Volume = Cross-sectional Area x Height of hollow cylinder

𝟑.𝟏𝟒𝟏𝟔 𝒙 (𝟎.𝟎𝟓𝟓𝒎)𝟐
= m2 x 0.13 m
4
= 0.000308859 m3
Compacted Volume = Cross-sectional Area x Height of compacted soil

𝟑.𝟏𝟒𝟏𝟔 𝒙 (𝟎.𝟎𝟓𝟓𝒎)𝟐
= m2 x 0.09 m
4
= 0.000213825 m3

𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒊𝒍

Bulk density = 𝒃𝒖𝒍𝒌 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒊𝒍

0.3 𝑘𝑔
=
0.000308859 m3
= 971.3184239 kg/m3

AE 511 Irrigation and Drainage Engineering Laboratory Manual

Date Developed: August 2018 Developed by: Willie Jones B. Saliling Page 5 of 7
 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒊𝒍
Compacted density = 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒊𝒍

0.3 𝑘𝑔
=
0.000213825 m3
= 1403.015 kg/m3

𝑩𝒖𝒍𝒌 𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒊𝒍

SGapparent =
𝑫𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 @ 𝟒 𝒐𝑪
𝟗𝟕𝟏.𝟑𝟏𝟖𝟒𝟐𝟑𝟗 𝒌𝒈/𝒎𝟑
=( )
𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈/𝒎𝟑

=0. 971318424

𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒊𝒍

SGreal =
𝑫𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 @ 𝟒 𝒐𝑪
1403.015 kg/m3
=( )
𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒌𝒈/𝒎𝟑

= 1. 403
 Same computation was done to the remaining 2 trials.
 The average sgapparent for 3 trials is 0.975 and the sgreal is 1.407.

V. Conclusion and Summary

Based from my conducted experiment, I observe that the experimental result in
Real Specific of the soil is far from the ideal and expected result given by our instructor.
Because according to him, the real specific gravity should be around or near 2.65. But
then my results shows an average result of 1.407.
For 3 trials, it shows the same results. How much I try to compact the soil but then
the change in height is small. In my opinion, the big difference between the ideal result
and experimental result might involve several factors. These factors that I think
contributed to my experimental results are stated below;
• Location where the soil sample is get – I get my soil sample at the left bank of the
irrigation canal besides the administration building and so the structural
composition of the soil might affect.

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Date Developed: August 2018 Developed by: Willie Jones B. Saliling Page 6 of 7
 • Method used – the method used might be improper because I just based it from
what I understand. And I think, it is correct.
• Accuracy of the instrument used – the instrument used was not that specialized
and was not really accurate for this kind of experiment. And so, there might be a
biased in doing the set-up.
• Type of Soil – there are different type of soil. According to some reference, the
specific gravity of the soil do varies. There were types of soils that has a real
specific gravity of 2.0 and etc.

And also, I think there is something wrong with my results in the bulk density of the
soil. Because according to what I remember, the usual density of a soil should be higher
than the density of the water which is 1000kg/m3.

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Date Developed: August 2018 Developed by: Willie Jones B. Saliling Page 7 of 7