Phase Relationships Flashcards
What is soil defined as?
Soil = Liquid + gas + solids
What is the liquid phase in soil primarily composed of?
Water
What is the gas phase in soil primarily composed of?
Air
What are the solids in soil generally made of?
One or several minerals or organic matter
Why are the relative amounts of the phases in soil important?
They affect mechanical behaviour
Define bulk/total density in the context of soil.
Density of the entire soil mass including solids, liquids, and gases
What does the term ‘unit weight’ refer to?
Weight per unit volume of soil
What is the relationship between weight, mass, and gravity?
Weight = Mass x Gravity
What does water content (w) indicate in soil?
The amount of water present in the soil
What is the degree of saturation (S) in soil?
The ratio of the volume of water to the volume of voids
What characterizes partially saturated soil?
0 < S < 1
What characterizes saturated soil?
S = 1
What characterizes dry soil?
S = 0
Define porosity in soil.
The ratio of the volume of voids to the total volume of soil
What is void ratio in soil?
The ratio of the volume of voids to the volume of solids
What does saturation refer to in the context of soil?
The extent to which voids are filled with water
What is the triphase nature of soil?
A mixed mass of solids, water, and air
What is specific gravity in soil mechanics?
A dimensionless measure of unit weight or density
How is specific gravity of solids represented?
Specific gravity = (unit weight of solids) / (unit weight of water)
What are the reference values for the unit weight of water?
γw = 9.8 kN/m³ and ρw = 1000 kg/m³
What is total unit weight in soil?
The unit weight of soil considering all solids, water, and air
What influences the maximum and minimum densities of soil?
Standardized tests
What is the dry unit weight (γd) of soil?
The unit weight of soil if all water is removed while keeping void volume constant
What is saturated density (ρsat) in soil?
The density of soil if all voids are filled with water
Fill in the blank: The ideal separation of the three phases of soil allows for the determination of _______.
relationships between them
True or False: Specific gravity varies significantly with temperature and pressure.
False
