Agriculture · Foundation
Read how soil drains
Compare how two soils accept water.
Read the instructions without joining. A signed-in profile lets you save private observations and learning progress.
Before you begin
Gather your supplies
- Two cut-free containers with drainage holes
- Equal amounts of two safe soil samples
- Equal measured water, tray and timer
Use what you have. Purchases are optional and do not affect learning rewards.
Care and safety
Use clean soil without manure, mold or sharp debris. Work over a washable tray and wash hands afterward.
Foundation activity
No prerequisite.
The experiment
Soil pore size and structure affect infiltration, drainage and water storage. Keep starting moisture comparable across trials and record any differences. Container drip time compares these samples; it is not a field infiltration-rate measurement.
- Place equal soil depths in identical draining containers over a tray. Label samples A and B and predict which will drain faster.
- Pour the same water volume onto each sample using the same method. Start timing when pouring begins.
- Repeat for at least three trials with similar starting moisture. Allow both samples to drain for the same interval between trials and note how wet they are before each pour. Record seconds until dripping nearly stops.
- Compare the ranges, not only one trial. Describe how texture, compaction or organic matter may explain the difference.
Background reference: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
These instructions are a suggested learning experiment from Seth The Evil. The reference explains the background; it does not certify this experiment or guarantee a result.
Opening the workspace does not start an activity or save a record. You choose when to start and what observations to save.