1. Define specific gravity of soil.

Specific gravity is the ratio of a material's solid portion's density to the density of
water at 20 degrees Celsius.
2. What are typical values of specific gravity for soils?
Specific gravity of soil typically falls between 2.60 and 2.80.
3. What can you use to measure specific gravity of material lighter than water?
A hydrometer is used to measure the specific gravity and its use can be classified
into two: liquids heavier than water and liquids lighter than water. It is a tool for
determining the specific gravity. It functions according to the Archimedes
principle, which states that a solid thing that is floating in a liquid displaces its
own weight.
4. Why do we use vacuum while determining the specific gravity of soil?
We use a vacuum while determining the specific gravity of soil because it gives a
more accurate reading of its specific gravity. It is also a faster method compared
to the pycnometer or density bottle method.
5. What is the effect of water temperature on the determination of the specific of
soils?
Temperature variation has a significant impact on the soil's specific gravity value.
At a greater temperature, the molecules that make up the soil will have more
kinetic energy. As a result, the molecules will take up more space. The substance
does not, however, enlarge. Consequently, the relationship between
temperature and specific gravity is inverse.

Analysis and Interpretation

The specific gravity of soil is typically between 2.6 and 2.8. After conducting the
experiment, an average specific gravity of 0.88 was obtained. With a specific gravity of
less than 2, it implies that the soil has a high content of organic material.

Application:

The main use of the specific gravity of soil is to determine the soil’s compressive strength.
Knowing the soil’s compressive strength can help the engineer choose a construction
method that will ensure the quality of the structure. Specific gravity and compressibility
are connected and can be used to obtain each other.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Since the average specific gravity is 0.8825, it can be concluded that the soil type is
organic soil. As the soil sample was submerged in water, there was a high amount of soil
that was floating. The floating soil represents the organic matter present in the soil since
a specific gravity lower than 1 means the material or substance can float on water.
A problem encountered during the experiment is the thermometer itself. The
thermometer that was being used was difficult to read. Since the temperature has an
important rile to determine the specific gravity, there is a chance that the temperature
reading was either wrong or inaccurate.

Another problem is that the computed specific gravity is lower compared to the typical
specific gravity of the soil. There may have been a mistake with the computation or
gathering of data.