Chapter 28, Problem 3RQ

To determine

The difference between porosity and permeability.

Answer to Problem 3RQ

Porosity gives the measure of the maximum amount of water at a given location, while permeability is the measure to which fluid can pass a given void space.

Explanation of Solution

The difference between porosity and permeability are given in the table below:

S. No.	Porosity	Permeability
1.	The volume of voids compared to the total volume in the soil or sediment is known as porosity.	Permeability is defined as the degree to which a fluid can get transferred via a porous medium.
2.	It gives the measure of the maximum amount of water at a given location.	It is the measure to which fluid can pass a given void space.
3.	It depends on the size, shape, and arrangement of the soil or sediment particles.	The factors affecting permeability are the shape of the porous material, impurities in the flowing fluid, soil properties and so on..

Table 1

Conclusion:

Therefore, porosity gives the measure of the maximum amount of water at a given location, while permeability is the measure to which fluid can pass a given void space.