Soil pH and Water Absorption
Introduction
Soil is made up of tiny particles of rock, plant, and animal matter. Soil acidity can be expressed using the pH scale. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Soils with a pH above 7 are basic. Soils with a pH below 7 are acidic. A soil with a pH of 7 is neither acidic nor basic, but is neutral. The pH and water absorption of soil help to determine which plants will grow well in it. The pH of soil helps to decide which minerals are available for plants. Agricultural engineers know that most plants grow best in soil with a pH of 6.5. Erosion is controlled by how well the soil retains water. In this experiment, you will measure the pH of soil and measure how well soil samples absorb water.
Objectives
In this experiment, you will
- Measure the pH of soil samples.
- Determine the amount of water retained by soil samples.
- Compare soil samples.
Sensors and Equipment
This project/activity requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You will also need NXT Sensor Adapter and a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT robotics system.
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
The preview does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book for classroom use.
Standards Correlations
See all standards correlations for STEM with Vernier and LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT »
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.