SOIL 2124 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 100% PASS 2026/2027
Why is it important to know soil physical properties? - ANS 1. Basic properties are used in
profile descriptions/ soil classifications.
2. Aids in land use decisions.
3. Provides a rough index of soil chemical/nutritional/biological properties
What are the 2 types of soil physical properties? - ANS Static and Dynamic
Soil properties that do not change on short time scales under natural conditions or without
significant applied force - ANS Static soil physical properties
Ex: soil texture
Soil properties that readily change on short time scales under natural conditions or with
relatively minor amounts of force - ANS Dynamic soil physical properties
Soil Structure, Soil Color
What are the key soil physical properties used in a profile description? - ANS 1. Soil Color
2. Soil Texture
3. Soil Structure
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,4. Soil Consistence
5. Soil Density
The most obvious and easily determined soil characteristic - ANS Soil Color
What can we tell about the soil from observing the color - ANS organic matter content-
(darkness of soil)
soil color and temperature-
(dark absorb more heat, usually warm up quicker and have higher temps)
Soil color and parent material -
(generally, dark parent material will develop into dark soils)
Soil coloring agent that darkens the soil , is typically associated with surface layers, and masks
all other coloring agents - ANS Organic Matter
Primary coloring agent in the subsoil, responsible for red, orange, yellowish colors (rust colors) -
ANS Iron Oxides
coloring agent responsible for black concretions in soil - ANS Manganese Oxides
coloring agent responsible for white colors in soil - ANS Calcium Carbonates and Salts
Red colored soil coatings - ANS Hematite
Yellow colored soil coatings - ANS Goethite
Gray colored soil coatings - ANS No coatings
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2
, Soil is very important in determining... - ANS soil drainage classification and depth to the
water table, also predicting land use hazards related to very shallow water tables or temporary
flooding
Refers to the length and duration of saturation and is not a measure of how fast water drains
from the soil - ANS Soil Drainage
no gray colors within the top 48 inches of soil - ANS Well-drained
gray colors btwn 24 to 48 inches from the surface - ANS Moderately well-drained
gray colors between 12 to 24 inches from surface - ANS somewhat poorly drained
A horizon < 12 inches thick with gray colors dominant below A horizon - ANS poorly drained
>10 inches of black organic surface underlain by gray colors - ANS very poorly drained
A soil has a Chroma less than or equal to 2 and value greater than 4 - ANS soil considered
gray
Soils exhibiting gray color is said to be - ANS gleyed
The gray color in soils are are vital for - ANS delineating wetlands/ identifying wetland
boundaries
Standardized system used by soil scientists and geologists - ANS Munsell Color System
Dominant soil spectral color - ANS Hue
2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
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ANSWERS 100% PASS 2026/2027
Why is it important to know soil physical properties? - ANS 1. Basic properties are used in
profile descriptions/ soil classifications.
2. Aids in land use decisions.
3. Provides a rough index of soil chemical/nutritional/biological properties
What are the 2 types of soil physical properties? - ANS Static and Dynamic
Soil properties that do not change on short time scales under natural conditions or without
significant applied force - ANS Static soil physical properties
Ex: soil texture
Soil properties that readily change on short time scales under natural conditions or with
relatively minor amounts of force - ANS Dynamic soil physical properties
Soil Structure, Soil Color
What are the key soil physical properties used in a profile description? - ANS 1. Soil Color
2. Soil Texture
3. Soil Structure
2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
1
,4. Soil Consistence
5. Soil Density
The most obvious and easily determined soil characteristic - ANS Soil Color
What can we tell about the soil from observing the color - ANS organic matter content-
(darkness of soil)
soil color and temperature-
(dark absorb more heat, usually warm up quicker and have higher temps)
Soil color and parent material -
(generally, dark parent material will develop into dark soils)
Soil coloring agent that darkens the soil , is typically associated with surface layers, and masks
all other coloring agents - ANS Organic Matter
Primary coloring agent in the subsoil, responsible for red, orange, yellowish colors (rust colors) -
ANS Iron Oxides
coloring agent responsible for black concretions in soil - ANS Manganese Oxides
coloring agent responsible for white colors in soil - ANS Calcium Carbonates and Salts
Red colored soil coatings - ANS Hematite
Yellow colored soil coatings - ANS Goethite
Gray colored soil coatings - ANS No coatings
2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
2
, Soil is very important in determining... - ANS soil drainage classification and depth to the
water table, also predicting land use hazards related to very shallow water tables or temporary
flooding
Refers to the length and duration of saturation and is not a measure of how fast water drains
from the soil - ANS Soil Drainage
no gray colors within the top 48 inches of soil - ANS Well-drained
gray colors btwn 24 to 48 inches from the surface - ANS Moderately well-drained
gray colors between 12 to 24 inches from surface - ANS somewhat poorly drained
A horizon < 12 inches thick with gray colors dominant below A horizon - ANS poorly drained
>10 inches of black organic surface underlain by gray colors - ANS very poorly drained
A soil has a Chroma less than or equal to 2 and value greater than 4 - ANS soil considered
gray
Soils exhibiting gray color is said to be - ANS gleyed
The gray color in soils are are vital for - ANS delineating wetlands/ identifying wetland
boundaries
Standardized system used by soil scientists and geologists - ANS Munsell Color System
Dominant soil spectral color - ANS Hue
2026/2027 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
3
