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SAI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
SUBJECT: CHEMISTRY
CLASS - VII
LAB WORKSHEET
TOPIC - SOIL: A NATURAL RESOURCE

AIM: To study the percolation rates of different soils and their water- holding capacities

MATERIALS REQUIRED: Samples of sandy, loamy and clayey soil, funnels, filter
paper, and measuring cylinders.

METHOD: Weigh about 25g of each soil sample. Then, take three funnels and insert
filter paper cones into each one of them. Place each soil sample into the funnel with the
filter paper. Make sure that the filter paper is moist. This is done so that the water, which
will be poured into soil, is not used up in wetting the filter paper. Place these funnels on
top of the measuring cylinders. Pour 50 ml water over each soil sample. Record that as
the zero reading. Allow the water to seep through the soil samples. Your last reading
will be when no more drops of water come out of the funnel into the measuring cylinder.

OBSERVATION:

1. Calculate the percolation rate for each sample using the following formula:

Volume of water collected in the measuring cylinder (y) = _________________mL

Time taken for y amount of water to collect into the measuring cylinder (t) =
_________minutes

Percolation rate = y/t

2. Calculate the water holding capacities of the soil samples using the following
formula:

Volume of water poured into soil sample (x) = ____________mL

Volume of water collected in measuring cylinder (y) = ___________mL

Amount of soil taken (g) = ______________g

Water holding capacity (%) = (x-y)*100
g