Name:______Date:______Period:_____

The Nature of Soil Study Guide

  1. A student hypothesizes that the amount of water a plant receives will affect how long it grows before reaching maturity. To test this hypothesis, the student will need?
  2. Alex investigates whether some liquids make metal rust faster than others. Alex places the same kind of metal object in three different jars. Then, he adds a different liquid to each jar. Each day for a few weeks, Alex observes each jar. To perform the investigation correctly, what should Alex do each time he observes the jars?
  3. Brianna thinks larger pumpkin seeds will sprout faster than smaller pumpkin seeds. She investigates by planting four seeds of each size in the same container. What term is used to describe what Brianna thinks will happen?
  4. Jason wanted to know what kinds of organisms are found in pond water. He collected a sample of water from a pond near his house. After looking at the sample under a microscope, Jason sketched the organisms he saw.

Jason used a guide to identify the organisms and then repeated the investigation two more times. Why was repeating the investigation an important part of the process?

  1. Which is the best reason for planting a tree away from a sidewalk?
  2. Use the illustration to answer the question that follows.A student needs approximately 250 mL of water for an experiment. Which letter in the illustration best represents this estimate?
  1. Students wanted to know if monarch butterflies were more likely to visit milkweed flowers than other kinds of flowers. What step should the students perform before the other steps?
  2. On a recent field trip, students recorded the heights of the flowers they found.What flower grew the tallest?

Flower Data Chart
Flower Name / Petal Color / Height (in.)
Bloodroot / White / 8
Blue Violet / Purple / 12
Merrybells / Yellow / 18
Purple Cross / Purple / 9
Spring Beauty / Pink / 15
  1. When performing a new experiment for the first time, a scientist reaches an unexpected conclusion. What must the scientist do in order to have the conclusion accepted by other scientists?
  2. Evan is performing an investigation. Before conducting his investigation, what must Evan do?
  3. Living organisms have a role in weathering and erosion in the ecosystem. What role does bacteria and fungi have in this process?
  4. Between sand, silt, and clay what is the correct rank of particle size (smallest to largest)?
  5. Topsoil is considered to be most fertile when it has?
  6. Large pores in soil are most important for ______.
  7. Soil that drains slowly most likely has a high amount of?
  8. Which process most directly makes soil fertile?
  9. Soil is a mixture of all of?
  10. The best soil mixture for plant growth and drainage is?
  11. Subsoil receives organic material as it drops from the topsoil. This process is called ______.
  12. The roots of a plant can grow through cracks in a driveway, eventually causing the driveway to break. What process is taking place?
  13. Surface processes that work together to break down rock is called ______.
  14. Most plants grow in soil. How do plant roots help create new soil?
  15. What can cause soil erosion?
  16. Different layers of soil are called ______.
  17. Leaves, twigs, and other organic material that can be changed into humus by decomposing organismsis called ______.
  18. Decayed organic matter that turns into a dark-colored material is called ______.
  19. The process of the removal of minerals that have been dissolved in water is called ______.
  20. The humus in soil is produced by ______.
  21. Circle the best answer:The finest-grained soils are richest in (silt, clay, sand, or humus).
  22. Why is the A horizon darker than the other horizons?