Soil Analysis Pre-Lab

Soil Analysis Lab

Which ions will be dissolved when soil
is mixed with water?
How do the amounts of these ions
vary in soils from different locations?
How does the pH of the soils vary with
different locations?
How can the pH be altered?
 Ionic Compounds and Soil
 Soil is made up of weathered rock particles, clay and
decaying organic material called humus
 When you place soil in a cup, the rock and clay sink and
the humus floats
 Ionic compounds from the soil dissolve in the water and
form a solution
 Some of these dissolved ions contain elements that a
healthy plant needs
 Nitrogen (N) from ammonium (NH4+)
• Plants need to make chlorophyll
 Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) from phosphate
(PO43- ) and potassium ion (K+)
• Plants need these to survive as well
 The type of particles that make up soil affect the ion
levels
• Opposites attract
• Humus and clay are negatively charged
• What ion levels would be high in soil that is high in humus
and clay?
 pH and Soil
 pH affects how easily plants can obtain
nutrients from the soil
 If pH is too high or too low, then ionic
compounds will not be able to dissolve
as easily in water and will not be
available to plants
 Most plants require a soil pH between 6
and 7
 pH of soil can be altered by adding an
the acid vinegar or a base such as
limestone.
 Pre-Lab Assignment
 Research the role nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ions
play in plants
• Show how these ions form from the ionic compounds they are derived
from
• Show the atomic orbital diagrams of these ions
 Research how acids and bases affect soil
• Show what would happen if an acid was present in soil, show
dissociation of water and what the ions will do to the levels of
Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus levels
 Predict what types of soils will have high and low ion
concentrations
 Predict where soil with high and low pH maybe found
 Research wetlands
• What is a wetland
• What type of plants are found in in wetlands?
• What factors affect soil and water pH and nutrients in wetlands?
 Outline how you would conduct an experiment testing the
nutrient levels in different types of soil and the pH levels of
different types of soils.
• Make a hypothesis/es
• Determine variables (control, constant, independent, dependent)
• Material and procedures