Soil Temperature
Recommended for grades 6–12.
Introduction
Soil temperature affects climate, plant growth, the timing of budburst or leaf fall, the decomposition rate of organic material, and other biological, chemical, and physical processes that take place in the soil.
How do flowers and other plants know when to start growing in the spring? How do farmers know when it is safe to plant their crops? Soil temperature plays an important role in both of these decisions. Each spring, soil is heated from above by warmer air and by solar radiation. Once the soil reaches a certain temperature, it is time to plant and grow.
Objectives
In the Preliminary Activity, you will gain experience using a Temperature Probe and learn soil temperature measuring technique as you determine the temperature of a soil sample.
After completing the Preliminary Activity, you will first use reference sources to find out more about soil temperature and factors that affect it before you choose and investigate a researchable question dealing with soil temperature.
Sensors and Equipment
This investigation requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for the Preliminary Activity
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the Preliminary Activity does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.
Standards Correlations
See all standards correlations for Investigating Environmental Science through Inquiry »
Experiment 8 from Investigating Environmental Science through Inquiry Lab Book
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.