Question 5 (a) Explain briefly what is the meaning of \"adsorbed\" water in clay

Question

Question 5 (a) Explain briefly what is the meaning of "adsorbed" water in clay? (3 marks) (b) Figure 5 shows the laboratory results for the determination of shrinkage limits of two different types of clay. What is the shrinkage limit of Type A clay? 50 45 40 9 35 10 15 20 25 Water Content(%) Figure 5 (2 marks) (c) Based on the information given in the table below, suggest which one of the two clay minerals is likely to be more abundant in Type A clay. Provide a brief explanation for your answer. Clay Mineral Montmorillonite Kaolinite Typical Surface Area (m'lg) 600 10 (3 marks) (d) Would Type A clay likely to have a higher Plastic Index (PI) than Type B clay? Provide a brief explanation for your answer (2 marks)

Explanation / Answer

a] Take the sandy soil of extremely small sized rocks which is known for aeration but not for water retention. On the other hand, clay soils have colloidal particles that can hold water but are very poor in aeration. Rock particles of big sizes do not hold any water between them. In fact, any such soil consisting of rock particles which do not hold water in between them is not good for the development of root system. This is because water the holding capacity of the soil is abysmal. However, if you are wondering which type of soil retains maximum amount of water then the soil is loam. Loam provides good aeration and proper capillary spaces to hold water. It has the mixture of clay, sand and decomposed organic material called humus. Thus, this soil is considered to be the best soil for the growth of plants since it has good water holding capacity. A lot of other factors like infiltration rate, permeability , percolation etc. affect the water absorption of soil too.

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