2B03-Lab1-Particle Size Analysis 2022
pdf
keyboard_arrow_up
School
McMaster University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
2B03
Subject
Geography
Date
Oct 30, 2023
Type
Pages
14
Uploaded by DrFlamingoPerson964
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
1
LAB #1
PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS
Assigned: week of 3 Oct, Due begging of lab 2, week of October 24
INTRODUCTION
In any given soil, grain size can range from extremely small clay particles to large
stones and gravel.
The grain size distribution of a soil can be determined by
calculating the percentages of sand, silt and clay present in the sample. This
particle size analysis can be used to assign a textural class to the soil, which
controls the general physical properties of the soil. As mentioned in class, if there is
ONE soil property that governs the rest, it is soil texture. There are several methods
of particle size analysis, two of which will be performed in this lab: mechanical
sieving and sedimentation by the hydrometer method.
Mechanical Sieving
involves measuring the mass of soil caught in each sieve
against the original total weight of the sample; in order to calculate the percent of
the soil that passed through each sieve.
A plot of percent passing vs. grain size
diameter can be obtained, representing the grain size distribution of the soil
sample. This method of particle size analysis can be used for a large range of
particle sizes (0.02 mm to 2.00 mm in diameter). However, the probability of a
particle passing through a sieve depends on the nature of the particle, the
number of particles of that size, and the properties of the sieve. As a result, this
method often requires pretreatment of the sample in order to achieve good
results. Pretreatment can involve the removal of moisture, carbonates, soluble
salts and organic matter by heating and chemical reactions. In addition, further
preparation could involve physically removing all visible organic material, including
grass clumps, roots, branches etc, and breaking up hard soil chunks with a rubber
mallet. However, due to time restrictions, it is not possible to perform these
treatments in the lab, thus it can be assumed that these substances have already
been removed.
Sedimentation
analysis
is based on the principle that soil particles are denser
than water, so they typically sink, settling at a velocity proportional to their size.
Meaning the bigger the soil particles, the faster they fall through the solution.
Therefore, sedimentation analysis relies on the relationship between settling
velocity and particle diameter as described by Stokes Law:
v
=
d
2
g(r
s
– r
1
)
18h
v
=
terminal velocity
r
s
=
particle density
d =
particle diameter
r
1
=
water density
g =
gravitational force
h
=
water viscosity
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
2
By applying Stokes Law to particle analysis it is assumed that 1) the terminal
velocity of settling particles is attained instantaneously; 2) settling and resistance
are entirely due to the viscosity of the fluid; 3) the particles are smooth and
spherical; and 4) there are no interaction between individual particles in the
solution. These assumptions are met for soil particles that are less than 80
μ
m in
diameter.
In addition, no pre-treatment of the soil samples is necessary in the sedimentation
process; however there can be some associated error with this assumption
depending on the composition of the soil samples.
For example, the presence of
soluble salts or gypsum may cause the flocculation or clumping of clay particles
which will affect the particle settling velocity.
In this case, a significant amount of
the dispersion agent, such as Calgon
®
can be used to prevent such an occurrence.
Sedimentation analysis can be conducted following the
Hydrometer Method
;
which
involves placing a soil sample in a cylinder of water and measuring the
density of water that is displaced by the soil particles as they settle out of
suspension with a hydrometer.
As soil particles settle out of suspension past the
depth of the hydrometer, the density of the solution drops. Large particles settle out
first, thus the decreasing hydrometer readings correspond to a decrease in particle
size over time.
There are two types of hydrometers used in this lab: ASTM 152H and ASTM 151H,
discernable from the labelled paper inside the bulb of the hydrometer.
The ASTM
152H measures the concentration of soil in suspension in g/L and the ASTM 151H
measures the specific gravity of the solution (dimensionless).
Reading the hydrometers can be tricky.
The ASTM 152H ranges from 0 g/L to 60
g/L and increases by increments of 1 g/L.
Whereas, the ASTM 151H hydrometer is
a little more difficult to read, because it increases by increments of 0.0010 as seen
in Figure 1.
0.9900
1.000
1.010
1.020
1.030
1.040
Figure 1:
ASTM 151H hydrometer scale.
All measurements must be recorded in g/L, thus a graph converting specific gravity
to g/L is provided in Figure 2. Once the hydrometer reading is in units of g/L, then
this value can be used in a series of equations to determine its particle size
equivalent.
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
3
Hydrometers, ASTM 152H and ASTM 151H are calibrated at 20°C.
Correction of
hydrometer readings for other temperatures, solution viscosity and density effects
are made by taking a hydrometer reading in a blank (no soil) solution (R
).
This
Figure 2:
Hydrometer Conversion Chart
PURPOSE
To determine the unknown grain size distributions of two soil samples using two
different techniques.
OBJECTIVES
•
To become familiar with the methods commonly employed to determine the
composition of a soil sample.
•
To determine the limitations of each procedure.
•
To determine the textural class of the soil samples based on their particle
distribution.
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
1.000
1.005
1.010
1.015
1.020
1.025
1.030
1.035
Specific Gravity
(151H Model)
g/L
(152H Model)
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
4
PROCEDURE
Part 1: Mechanical Sieving
Due to time constraints and the destructive nature of this grain size distribution test,
you will only sieve a sample of the provided
sand
, which has been oven dried at
105°C for approximately 24 hours.
Equipment
6 sieves, sieve pan, cover
weighing dishes/ paper towel
soil
shaker
rubber mallet & brush
scale
Method
1. Weigh a large crucible weighing dish (W
1
) (
Table 1
).
2. Place approximately 75 g of pre-treated soil in the weighing dish and record
total weight (W
2
) (
Table 1
).
3. Retrieve a bottom pan, a lid and the appropriate sieves.
Each sieve is labelled
with the pore size in mm. Choose 6 sieves between the pore sizes (
i
) 0.07 mm
to 2.00 mm. Brush all sieves to remove any stray particles from previous
experiments. Also, check to make sure none of the sieves are damaged.
4.
Assemble the sieves in a size-ordered stack, with the coarsest (largest) sieve at
the top and the finest at the bottom.
Place the sieve pan on the bottom and a
sieve cover on the top of the stack.
Record the pore sizes in
Table 1
.
5. Remove the cover and pour the pre-weighed sample into the top sieve.
Replace the sieve cover, place the stack on the sieve shaker, secure it and pre-
test for stability.
Turn the shaker on for 10 minutes.
If you are unsure, ask the
T.A. for assistance.
6. Record mass of emptied weigh dish (W
3
) in
Table 1
.
7.
Turn off the shaker and carefully remove the sieve stack.
8. Weigh a series of weighing dishes (W
di
) (
Table 1
). Be sure to label each dish
with the intended pore size (
i
) that will be emptied on it.
Can use any type of
dish.
9. Remove the top sieve and pour its contents into the pre-weighed weighing dish
and weigh the sample + dish (W
dsi
) (
Table 1
).
Be sure to brush out all the soil
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
5
from the sieve into the weighing dish.
10. Remove the next sieve from the stack and pour its contents into another
weighing dish and weigh the sample + dish.
Repeat this step until you have
measured the weight of the soil caught in each sieve tray and the bottom pan.
Record all values in
Table 1.
11. Brush the sieves clean and return the sieves to the proper storage area.
Part 2: Hydrometer Method for Sedimentation Analysis
Use the same sand soil in Part I
.
Equipment
hydrometer
1.5-2.0g of dispersing agent (Calgon
®
)
1L graduated cylinder
stopwatch, second hand watch, or clock
distilled water
stirring device
soil
plastic weighing boats
Method
1.
Record weight of empty plastic weighing dish (W
d
) in
Table 3
.
2. Accurately weigh out approximately 80 g of dry loam soil, using a plastic
weighing boat. Record weight of dish and sample (W
ds
) in
Table 3
.
3. Place the soil sample into a beaker, gently break up any harden chunks of soil
with a rubber mallet. Then add some water to the beaker and mix into a slurry.
This will ensure that you measure the sedimentological properties of the sample
only.
4.
Fill a 1L graduated cylinder to the 1L line with distilled water.
5. Weigh out approximately 1.5 - 2.0 g of dispersing agent in a plastic weighing
boat.
6. Add the dispersing agent to the graduate cylinder and mix vigorously with
provided stirring device.
7. Check the scale of the hydrometer to determine the type of model: the 152H
model is in g/L and the 151H model uses the dimensionless scale of specific
gravity.
Reminder: if you’re using the 151H hydrometer, you must convert your
values to g/L using the conversion graph provided in the
Introduction
(Figure
2).
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
6
8.
Carefully place the hydrometer slowly into the water in the graduate cylinder (do
not bang it against the side of the cylinder or drop it in the water).
Release it as
close to its natural floating point as possible.
If necessary, use your finger to
stop any oscillations of the hydrometer.
*Use extra caution when using the
hydrometers as they are fragile and very expensive.
9.
Take a blank (no soil) hydrometer reading (R
L
).
Record this value in
Table 3
.
10. Remove approximately 200 mL of water from cylinder.
11. Add the soil slurry to the graduated cylinder, rinse beaker with distilled water to
ensure that all of sample is added to the graduated cylinder.
12. Top cylinder back up to the 1 L line. *
Note, the exact volume of solution in
cylinder must be known (V
T
) and recorded in
Table 3
.
13. Using the provided stirring device, drag the stirring disk up and down several
times to disperse the soil evenly throughout the water column.
14. As soon as you finish mixing, start the stopwatch.
15. Take hydrometer readings at 30-second intervals for two minutes (R
t
).
Then
take readings at 3, 5, 10, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes.
Record these values in
Table 3
.
*Note, this is the minimum number of data points required.
16. Once you are finished, carefully remove from the hydrometer.
Clean and return
all equipment to the proper storage areas. Use appropriate waste bins for
Calgon
®
solution/ soil slurry.
FINAL LAB REPORT
Part 1: Sieving Analysis
1. Calculate the initial weight of the soil sample using the values recorded in
Table 1.
Initial mass of sample = (mass of weighing dish + soil) – (mass of empty dish)
W
S
= W
2
- W
1
2. Calculate the weight of soil caught in each sieve tray using values recorded in
Table 1
as follows:
Weight of soil in sieve
i
= (weight of dish + soil from sieve
i
) – (weight of empty dish)
W
si
= W
dsi
- W
di
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
7
3. Find the total weight that passed through the sieve stack (W
t
) by totalling the
values in the W
si
column in
Table 1
.
This value should be close to the initial
sample weight (W
s
) (before sieving) otherwise some of your soil sample was
lost.
4. Calculate the percentage of soil caught by each sieve tray, including the
bottom pan using the following equation:
% caught = (W
si
/ W
t
) x 100
W
s
= weight of soil in sieve
i
(g)
W
t
= total weight that passed through sieve stack (g)
5. Calculate the % cumulative passing value for the top sieve:
% cum. passing in top sieve = 100 – (% caught in top sieve)
6. Calculate the % cumulative passing value for each remaining sieve as follows:
% cum. passing = (% cum. passing from above sieve) – (% caught from current sieve)
7. Plot the percent cumulative passing vs. grain size diameter (sieve pore size)
on the semi-log, grain size distribution graph paper provided.
8. Repeat the above steps for the provided dataset for the loam soil (
Table 2
).
Include on your grain size distribution results for the loam soil on the same
graph paper as the sand.
** Sample Calculation of Grain Size Distribution Chart from Mechanical
Sieving**
Sieve Pore
Size
(i)
(mm)
Mass of
Empty
Weighing
Dish, W
di
(g)
Mass of
Weighing Dish
+ Soil Caught
in Sieve
i,
W
dsi
(g)
Mass of Soil
Caught in
Sieve
i
, W
si
(g)
(W
dsi
-W
di
)
% Caught
Cumulative
% passing
0.7
1.5
23.5
22
23.0
77.0
0.5
2.0
58.0
56
58.3
18.7
0.2
1.0
14.0
13
13.5
5.2
Bottom Pan
1.5
6.5
5
5.2
0.0
W
t
(g) = 96
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
8
Example Calculations:
W
t
= 22 + 56 + 13 + 5 = 96 g
% caught (0.7mm)
= (W
S0.7
/ W
t
) x 100 = (22g/ 96g) x 100 = 22.9%
% cumulative passing (0.7mm)
= 100 - 23.0 = 77.1%
% cumulative passing (0.5mm
) =
77 - 58.3 = 18.7%
Part 2:
Hydrometer Analysis
1. Calculate the actual weight of the soil sample using the values recorded in
Table 3
.
Actual mass of sample = (mass of weighing dish + soil) – (mass of empty dish)
W
T
= W
dT
- W
d
2. Calculate total concentration of soil in suspension at time
0
(C
T
) using total
mass of sample (W
T
) and known volume of solution in graduated cylinder (V
T
).
3. Correct the hydrometer readings (concentration of soil in suspension at time
t
)
in
Table 3
for each time interval as follows:
Corrected Reading = (Actual Hydrometer Reading) – (Blank Hydrometer Reading)
C
t
= R
t
- R
L
4.
Calculate the summation percentage (P) for each hydrometer reading as
follows:
P = C
t
/C
T
* 100
C
T
= total concentration of soil sample in solution (g/L)
C
t
= corrected hydrometer concentration (g/L)
5. Calculate the effective hydrometer depth (h) for hydrometer reading (R
t
) –
related to specific design and shape of hydrometer.
h
= the effective hydrometer depth (cm) for a standard 152H hydrometer
= (-0.164 cm·L·g
-1
) ·R
t
+ 16.3cm
R
t
= the hydrometer reading at time
t
(g/L)
6. Find the Sedimentation Parameter (q) in units of cm·sec
½
for each time
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
9
interval using the following formula:
q = (Bh)
1/2
B
= constant describing particle movement in a solution
= 9.9x10
-5
cm·sec
h
= the effective hydrometer depth (cm)
7. Convert q to units of µm·min
½
since X and t are reported in µm and minutes.
cm·sec
½
x (10 mm/ 1 cm) x (1000 µm/ 1 mm) x (1 min
½
/ √60 sec
½
)
8. Calculate the particle diameter (X) in units of µm using the following equation:
X = qt
-1/2
q = the sedimentation parameter (µm·min
1/2
)
t = the time of the hydrometer reading (min)
9. Using the hydrometer data, a fine particle distribution curve can be obtained by
plotting the summation percentage (P) vs. the particle diameter (X).
This
graph should be plotted on the same semi-log paper as the sieving data. The
curve from the sieving method and the hydrometer method can be joined to
produce a complete grain size distribution for the loam soil.
*Note, grain
diameter (scale on x-axis) on provided semi-log graph paper is in mm; thus all
calculated X values will need to be converted from µm to mm.
*Sample Calculation of Grain Size Distribution Chart from Sedimentation
Analysis*
Time, t
(min)
Concentration of soil
in suspension at
time t
(hydrometer
reading)
R
t
(g/L)
Corrected
Concentration
C
t
(g/L)
(R-R
L
)
Summation
Percentage, P
(%)
Effective
Hydrometer
Depth, h (cm)
Sedimentation
Parameter, q
(µm·min
½
)
Particle
Diameter, X
(µm)
0.5
11
9
21.8
14.5
48.9
69.2
1
10
8
19.4
14.7
49.2
49.2
1.5
9
7
17.0
14.8
49.5
40.4
2
8
6
12.5
15.0
49.7
35.2
R
L
= 2 g/L
C
T
=41.2 g/L
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
10
Example Calculations:
C
T
= total mass of soil in 1 L of water = 41.23 g/L
P (0.5min)
= (C
t
/ C
T
) x 100 = (9g/ 41.2g) x 100 = 21.8%
h (0.5min)
= -0.164 R
t
+ 16.3 = -0.164 (11) + 16.3 = 14.5 cm
q (0.5min)
= (Bh)
1/2
= ((9.9x10
-5
)·14.5)
1/2
= 0.0379 cm·sec
½
= (0.0379cm·sec
½
)(10mm/1cm)(1000µm/1mm)(1min
½
/√60sec
½
)
= 48.9 µm·min
½
X (0.5min)
= qt
-½
= (48.9)(0.5)
-½
= 69.2 µm or 0.0692 mm
QUESTIONS
1. Describe some of the disadvantages and advantages of each particle size method.
List some possible sources of error associated with each method.
2. In a few words, what is the difference between the particle size distribution curve
obtained by the hydrometer method compare to the curve obtained by the sieving
method?
3. Compare the grain size distribution curves for the sand and loam soil. Is there a lot
of difference in the data? Is one of the soils more or less coarse than the other? Is
one soil more or less well graded than the other?
4. Use the particle distribution curves to determine the percent of sand, silt and clay in
the soil. Classify the soil (e.g. silty-loam, sandy-clay, etc.) by referring to a textural
triangle -
The major soil textural classes are defined by the percentages of sand, silt
and clay according to the heavy boundary lines shown of the textural triangle
provided on the last page.
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
11
DATA
Table 1:
Sieving Data for the Sand
Group Members:
Sample Weight before Sieving
Parameter
Description
Recorded Value
W
1
(g)
Mass of empty weighing dish
W
2
(g)
Mass of dish + soil sample
W
3
(g)
Mass of emptied dish
Sieving Data
Sieve Pore Size (i)
(mm)
Mass of Empty Weigh
Dishes W
di
, (g)
Mass of Dish + Mass of
Caught Sample in Sieve
W
dsi
,
(g)
bottom pan
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
12
Table 2:
Sieving Data for the Loam Soil
Sample Weight before Sieving
Parameter
Description
Recorded Value
W
1
(g)
Mass of weighing dish (g)
158.55
W
2
(g)
Mass of dish + soil sample (g)
254.04
W
3
(g)
Mass of emptied dish (g)
158.56
Sieving Data
Sieve Pore Size (i)
(mm)
Mass of Empty Weigh
Dishes W
di
(g)
Mass of Dish + Mass of
Caught Sample in Sieve
W
dsi
(g)
2.00
1.30
3.218
1.40
1.31
3.953
1.00
1.32
5.395
0.500
1.30
15.025
0.125
1.30
49.418
0.065
1.33
7.994
bottom pan
1.33
19.397
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
13
Table 3:
Hydrometer Method Data for Sand Soil
Data before Test
Parameter
Recorded Value
Mass of empty weighing dish (W
d
)
(g)
Mass of dish + soil sample (W
dT
)
(g)
Blank Hydrometer Reading (R
L
)
(g/L)
Total Volume of Solution (V
T
) (L)
Hydrometer Test Data
Time,
t
(min)
Concentration of Soil in Suspension
(Hydrometer Reading)
R
t
(g/L)
0.5
1
1.5
2
3
5
10
30
60
90
120
ENVIRSC 2B03
Soils and the Environment
S.K. Carey, 2022
14
Figure 3 USDA Soil Texture Triangle
Related Documents
Browse Popular Homework Q&A
Q: Graph the functions in Exercises 9 and 10. Then answer these questions.
a. What are the domain and…
Q: Solve the exponential equation 3x = 81 by expressing each side as a power of the same base and then…
Q: A local Dunkin' Donuts franchise must buy a new piece of equipment in 6 years that will cost…
Q: A printing press that costs $288,400 is depreciated using the 1.5 declining-balance method. The…
Q: Arizona
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Texas
Arkansas
Mississippi
Louisiana
Alabama
South
Carolina
Georgia…
Q: Be able to calculate respiratory minute volumes
Q: 2.4. Let A and B be sets of real numbers, let f be a function from R to R, and let
P be the set of…
Q: Sometimes you can see the 'rainbow' in a thin layer of oil on the ground. Explain why this happens.…
Q: a) Find an equation for the plane tangent to the surface given by z = 4x² + y² at Po =
(1, 1,5).…
Q: Which statement about ANNs is false?
The back-propagation algorithm uses the gradient descent method…
Q: Verify that the indicated function is an explicit solution of the given differential equation.…
Q: First Class, Inc., expects to sell 27,000 pool cues for $13
each. Direct materials costs are $3,…
Q: What is the pH of a solution made by mixing 25.00mL of .1500M NaOH with 25.00mL of .2500M HClO2?…
Q: Acid Soln.
1
2
3
[H+]
0.00535 M
pH
9.25
[OH-]
2.10 x 10-7 M
Q: LDA
2) 0
H&H
3) H30t
Q: Hello. I am trying to determine the even and odd parts of a signal. For instance, how would I figure…
Q: The binary search is not working help please C++,
For example, return wrong number of comparisons…
Q: Consider this reaction:
Pb(s) + CdBr₂(aq)
What is reduced?
O Pb(s)
O Pb in PbBr₂(aq)
Cd(s)
O Cd in…
Q: Required:
Calculate the net present value of this investment opportunity. (Round your final answer…
Q: Bristo Corporation has sales
are $66,000, the degree of operating leverage is:
O 9.50
O2.07
O 7.60…
Q: What can we learn from children and adolescents with schizophrenia
Q: Complete the table.
Q: The Shirt Works sells a large variety of tee shirts and sweatshirts. Steve Hooper, the owner, is…
Q: Solve the given initial-value problem.
-¹)×,
X(t) =
X' =
8
5
X, X(0)
=(-8)
Q: Identify each acid and conditions as an oxidizing or nonoxidizing acid.
H₂SO4 (hot, concentrated)…