Name: Elise Rivera Date: February 2, 2016 Partner(s) Names: Talia Towe, Ived Gallegos, Ricky M. Rodriguez
Purpose: To test soil's quality for plant growth by uses different kinds of it to filter water
Procedure: - Set up a ring stand with a funnel in the clamp. - Put a coffee filter in the funnel and a beaker underneath it. - Measure 100g of soil, and 50mL of water - Set a timer for 5 minutes, and pour the water into the dirt filled funnel. - Finally, measure the amount of water that has filtered into the beaker - Repeat for each dirt sample.
Data Tables and Observations:
1st test: Soil is grainy with several lumps. We used 103.3 g and 20 mL of water was drained.
2nd test: Looks chunky and feels clay-like. We used 102.1 g and 60 mL of water was drained.
3rd test: Soil has a variety of small and large clumps. We used 105.4 g and 40 mL of water was drained.
4th test: Mostly in one solid. We used 100.6 g and 50 mL of water was drained.
When we placed the soil and water in the funnel, some of the mud/dirt (depending on the water % in it), caused the water to either have more or less of dirt in the water that came out of the bottom of the funnel. I feel like also because of different water percentages in the mud/dirt, water immediately came out from the bottom of the funnel while we were still pouring the water.
pH test pH = 6.5 Slight Acidic Color = dull brown
K test (potash) = K4 Surplus Color= Bronze/ Brown
H test (nitrogen) = N2 Adequate Color = light pink
P test (phosphorus) = P3 Sufficient Color = faint light blue
Conclusion: We tested the moisture, the pH level, and the amount of hydrogen and phosphorus that is in the mud/dirt.
Discussion of Theory: The reason why we tested our soil was because of the use that plants need food in order for them to grow into healthier plants. All the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates grow and as it does with its' health.
Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potash pH ( N,P,K,pH) N- This is important to make the leaves grow and not to cause the leafs to turn yellow. P- This is to make them grow faster and increase the seed yield and for the fruit development. K- This will make the an improvement on the color and the flavor of the fruit . It also makes the stem more stronger. pH- All plants have the pH preference , this is to know the pH level of the the soil . After you know what kind of pH soil you have you can get the same pH to your plants and to avoid the plants that don't really work for the kind of soil you have.