Soil Chemistry Review Sheet Only

Soil Chemistry Review Sheet
1. What are the primary components of soil? What percentage (typically) is organic material? Air and water?
Soil is composed of air, water, mineral particles, and organic materials. Air typically taking up 25% water
taking up another 25% mineral particles taking up 45% and organic matter taking up the last 5%.
2. What is soil texture? List the various types of soil particles (from smallest to largest). How can you tell them
apart in your hand? In what order do these particles settle out in water?
A soil’s texture determines how it “feels” - determined by amounts of sand, silt & clay. Sand feels coarse
and gritty Clay feels sticky when wet Silt feels sticky and smooth when wet and loam is a combination of all
these. Clay particles are the smallest mineral particles. Silt particles are medium sized Sand particles are
largest.
3. What properties of soil can you determine by understanding your soil’s texture?
-Texture affects a soil’s ability to hold nutrients & water.
-potential water-holding capacity: higher in clay soil, less in sandy soil
-Percolation: Movement of water through the soil
-Potential fertility
-Root penetrability
4. What is soil structure? Compare this to texture?
Soil structure the way soil particles are held together. Soil particles are held together by ‘cementing agents’
(clays, organic matter, oxides, etc.) to form aggregates. Aggregates of soil particles increase water
infiltration, drainage, & enhance plant growth (easier for roots to penetrate soil).
5. What are ions? Cations? Anions?
Elements having an electrical charge are called ions. Positively charged ions are cations; negatively charged
ones are anions. The most common soil cations (including their chemical symbol and charge) are calcium
(Ca++), magnesium (Mg++), potassium (K+), ammonium (NH4+), hydrogen (H+) and sodium (Na+).
6. Explain cation exchange. How does that relate to soil fertility?

Cation exchange: The exchange of a cation in the soil solution with another cation on the surface of a
surface-active site such as clay or organic matter. (Remember, both clay and organic matter have a negative
charge, so they are attracted to these positive particles.) “Fertile soil” is one that can retain and exchange
cations.
7. What is ph? What does it mean if you have acidic soil? Basic soil? (Describe this in terms of ions, not just pH
number.)
Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Having the correct pH is important for healthy
plant growth. Soil acidity is measured on a scale of 1 to 14, which is the same scale used to measure other
types of acid. Everything that ranks below a 7 is understood to be acidic and things that are above is
considered to be alkaline As the amount of hydrogen ions in the soil increases the soil pH decreases thus
becoming more acidic.
8. How does soil become more acidic over time?
Soils become acidic when basic elements such as calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium held by soil
colloids are replaced by hydrogen ions. Soils formed under conditions of high annual rainfall are more
acidic than are soils formed under more arid conditions.
9. How does acidic soil negatively affect plants? (hint: cation exchange)
Acidity has the following effects on soil: It decreases the availability of plant nutrients, such as phosphorus
and molybdenum, and increases the availability of some elements to toxic levels, particularly aluminum and
manganese. Essential plant nutrients can also be leached below the rooting zone. Cation exchange capacity
(CEC) is a measure of the soil’s ability to hold positively charged ions. It is a very important soil property
influencing soil structure stability, nutrient availability, soil pH and the soil’s reaction to fertilizers.
10. How can you raise the pH of soil?
The best way to increase the pH in soil is using a lime-based compound such as dolomite lime and
agricultural lime. However, other methods such as using baking soda, crushed eggshells, or wood ashes can
also be used.
11. What nutrients do plants need in large quantities? In small quantities? How does pH affect the availability of
these nutrients? Why specifically do plants need N, P, K, Fe, Mg, Ca?
Nutrients that plants require in larger amounts are called macronutrients. About half of the essential
elements are considered macronutrients: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium,
calcium, magnesium, and sulfur Micronutrients are the nutrients that are required by plants in small amounts
or quantities. E.g., Zinc, iron, copper, manganese, molybdenum, etc. Extreme pH values decrease the
availability of most nutrients. Low pH reduces the availability of the macro- and secondary nutrients, while
high pH reduces the availability of most micronutrients. Microbial activity may also be reduced or changed.

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6. Explain cation exchange. How does that relate to soil fertility?

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