Soil Textural Triangle

Eric Angat
Teacher
Essential Question
How do I classify
the types of soil
using the soil
textural triangle?
What is a soil textural triangle?
A soil texture triangle is
used to classify the
texture of soil. The sides
of the soil texture triangle
are scaled for the
percentages of sand, silt,
and clay.
Soil Texture Triangle
CLAY SILT

SAND
1. Fill in the blanks .

A soil texture triangle is used

classify
to ________the texture of soil.
The sides of the triangle are
scaled for the
sand
__________of______,
percentages
silt
_______, clay
and __________.
Which type of soil has the biggest, and the
smallest soil particle? Sand feels gritty.
Silt feels smooth.
Clays feel sticky

http://water.me.vccs.edu/concepts/velocitysusp.htm
Copy and answer the following questions in your
notebook. A video on soil texture will be shown on the
next slide to help you answer the questions..
2. What are the components of soil?
3. What is soil texture?
4. What is soil porosity?
5. What is soil permeability?
6. Which has higher permeability sand or
clay?
7. What is loam?
8. How can you determine soil texture?
Soil Texture Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knrmCbctGEA
2. What are the components of soil?
Organic matter, water, oxygen, and inorganic rock material
3. What is soil texture?
Measure of volume proportion of sand, silt , and clay.
4. What is soil porosity?
are the open spaces, or voids, within the soil profile.
5. What is soil permeability?
The rate at which water passes through the soil.
6. Which has higher permeability sand or clay?
Sand has higher permeability than clay.
7. What is loam?
Loam is the type of soil best for growing plants.
Soil Porosity
Claytype soils have very
small mineral particles and
very small pores. Sandy
soils have larger mineral
particles and thus larger
pore spaces. Although it
may seem counter
intuitive, smaller pore
spaces in clay soil actually
add up to a larger total
amount of space than in
an equivalent volume of
sandy soil.
 The ability of water to flow through
a soil is referred to as the soil's
permeability.

http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module06/Permeability.htm
Performing Soil
Texture Analysis
8. How can you determine soil texture?

Put the soil sample in a graduated cylinder and

add water almost to the top. Cover the top of the
cylinder with a plastic wrap, secure it with a
rubber bond and shake vigorously. Then, let the
cylinder sit overnight. The soil grain settles based
on their size ( heavy at the bottom ). Determine
the soil volume proportion and use soil textural
triangle to determine the type of soil.
 What kind of soil is this sample?

107 mL.
total volume of soil
Clay 10 mL. 100 mL.
Silt 25 mL. 75 mL.
Sand 72 mL.
50 mL.

http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/169135/enlarge
 Soil Volume of
Component Soil Type Total Volume Percentage(%)
Sand 72 107 X 100 67%
Silt 25 107 X 100 23%
Clay 10 107 X 100 9%
Total 107 100%

Formula:
Percentage=(Volume of Soil Type/ Total Volume) X 100
A soil with 9 % clay, 67 % sand, and 23 % silt
Sandy loam
is called a ________________ .
9. What kind of
soil is made of
70% sand, 20%
silt, and 10% clay
Where do they
intersect?

sandy loam
10. What type of
soil is made of 10%
sand, 80 % clay, and
10% silt?

Where do they
intersect?

clay
11. What type of soil
is made of 40% sand,
20% silt, and 40%
clay?

Where do they
intersect?

clay
12. What kind of
soil is made of 70%
sand, 20% silt, and
10% clay?

Where do they
intersect?

Sandy loam
A soil with 30% clay, 50% sand, and 20% silt
sandy clay loam .
is called a ________________

CLAY SILT

SAND