soil components and weathering

Question 1

what are the soil components

Answer 1

solids
-mineral matter (45%)
-organic matter (5%)
pore spaces 
-air (25%)
-water (25%)

Question 2

what is the solid component of soil made up of

Answer 2

mineral matter- is composed of tiny solid inorganic particles, derived from rocks and minerals, that rance in size and mineralogical compositions

it also consists of materials of living origin (organic materials)

Question 3

what is the pore space

Answer 3

• the space between solid particles that holds air and water

- A complex assortment of microorganisms also inhabits the pore space

Question 4

what is the difference between rocks and minerals

Answer 4

• a mineral is a solid crystalline material with definite chemical and physical characteristics like color and hardness
• a rock is a naturally occurring mixture of two or more minerals

Question 5

what is weathering

Answer 5

the breaking up of rocks and transformation of minerals

Question 6

what are the different kinds of weathering

Answer 6

• mechanical

- biochemical

Question 7

what are the three types of biochemical weathering

Answer 7

hydrolysis
dissolution
oxidation

Question 8

do living organisms speed up or slow down chemical weathering

Answer 8

speed it up. if no living organisms this process would occur 1000x slower and very little soil would form

Question 9

what is hydrolysis

Answer 9

chemical composition and size of minerals altered with water making them less resistant. ex clay mineral formation

Question 10

what is dissolution

Answer 10

minerals are dissolved in water, releasing ions in solution; acids accelerated this process. ex limestone dissolution

Question 11

what is oxidation

Answer 11

occurs when free oxygen is involved in chemical reactions. ex rust formation from the exposure of iron to oxygen

Question 12

what are minerals

Answer 12

solid crystalline material with definite chemical and physical characteristics like colour and hardness

Question 13

what is the solid portion of soil made of

Answer 13

it is composed of tiny inorganic particles derived from rocks and minerals. it also consists of living organic matter

Question 14

what is a rock

Answer 14

naturally occurring mixture of two or more minerals

Question 15

what is mechanical weathering

Answer 15

the process that breaks a rock into smaller pieces without altering its chemical composition

• continued physical disintegration eventually breaks rock down into particles made up of individual materials
• accentuated in very cold or very dry environments

Question 16

what is biochemical weathering

Answer 16

processes that change the chemical composition of rocks and minerals
-most intense where the climate is wet and hot

Question 17

what are some examples of mechanical weathering

Answer 17

frost wedging,
roots fracturing rocks,
abrasion by water, wind, and gravity