SCSC 301 exams 1,2,3,4 Questions & Answers(RATED A+)

SCSC 301 exams 1,2,3,4 Questions &
Answers(RATED A+)
A soil with 25% _____ and 25% ______by volume is close to ideal
-water; organic matter
-Air; mineral matter
-Air; water
-Mineral matter; organic matter - ANSWERAir; water

Soil is a dynamic natural body having properties due to the combined effects of
_______ and biota as modified by ________ acting on parent material over time.
-climate; topography
-Time; Weather
-Topography; parent material
-Biota; climate
-Weather; topography - ANSWERclimate; topography

A soil that supports plant life must provide _____to the roots of the plants
-growth hormones
-Energy sources
-Nitrogen gas (i.e., N2)
-Carbon dioxide
-Oxygen - ANSWEROxygen

Soil forming factors always act alone usually one at a time. - ANSWERThis is false.
Soil forming factors typically affect soil formation simultaneously. Some factors may
dominate more than others, but usually soil formatting is a result of combined effects
of these factors


A two dimensional (i.e., 2D) view of soil that displays horizons is referred to as a soil
-Horizon
-Pedon
-Profile
-Regolith
-Solum - ANSWERprofile

Which element is not essential for plants and is a common constituent of soil
minerals?
-Mg (magnesium)
-Al (aluminum)
-Na (sodium)
-K (potassium)
-Ca (calcium) - ANSWERAl (aluminum)

Secondary minerals that are resistant to further weathering, such as hematite and
gibbsite, are in the group of minerals called ________, which are usually found in
high quantities in extremely old and highly weathered soils.

,-Fe and Al oxides
-Si and Ca carbonates
-Ca and Mg carbonates
-K and N
-Silicates and Mg carbonates - ANSWERFe and Al oxides
A soil contains A, E, B, and C master horizons. The A, E, and B horizons are
considered ____?
-Subsoil
-Soil pedon
-Soil profile
-Surface soil
-Soil solum - ANSWERSoil solum

Which of the following are influenced by one or more functions of soil?
-accumulation/degradation of leaves and other plant residues
-Ability to support plant and microbial life
-All of the answers are a result of one or more major soil functions
-Regulation of rain entering streams and rivers
-Quality of water in streams and rivers - ANSWERAll of the answers are a result of
one or more major soil functions

Which answer includes only secondary minerals?
-Apatite, hornblende, and feldspars
-Olivine, hornblende, and goethite
-Feldspars, silicate clays, and hornblende
-Quartz, feldspars, and calcite
-Calcite, gypsum, silicate clays - ANSWERCalcite, gypsum, silicate clays

Minerals such as ___________ are secondary minerals that are often found in humid
and tropical climates because they form from the weathering of primary minerals and
are rather insoluble and resistant to weathering.
-Limestone and marble
-Granite and shale
-Feldspar and hornblende
-Hematite and gibbsite
-Gypsum, calcite, and dolomite - ANSWERHematite and gibbsite

When you compare surface soil and subsoil, which statement is true?
-Surface soil is usually less porous than subsoil
-Surface soil is less impacted by soil forming factors than subsoil
-Surface soil is lighter in color than subsoil
-Surface soil usually has a higher clay content than subsoil
-Surface soil is usually darker in color than subsoil - ANSWERSurface soil is usually
darker in color than subsoil

The specific term used to describe deposits of wind blown silt-sized particles that will
serve as parent materials is ____
-Moraine
-Residuum
-Loess

, -Alluvium
-Colluvium - ANSWERLoess

The parent material transported by flowing fresh water is ______
-Residuum
-Colluvium
-Eolian
-Marine
-Alluvium - ANSWERAlluvium

__is a relatively unsorted parent material
-loess
-Colluvium
-Marine
-Glacial outwash
-Alluvium - ANSWERColluvium

Soils with colluvium parent materials are likely to form ____
-Along the coast of an ocean or gulf
-In areas that are extremely wet and dominated by mosses and peat
-Near rivers and streams
-In previously glaciated areas
-In mountainous areas known for avalanches - ANSWERin mountainous areas
known for avalanches

As rocks weather into soil, some elements are lost. Thus, the chemical composition
of a soil will have ______________than its parent material rock.
-Lower percentage of Fe and Al
-Higher percentage of Fe and Al
-None of the answers
-Higher percentage of basic cations (i.e., Ca, Na, Mg, K)
-Higher percentage of granite - ANSWERHigher percentage of Fe and Al

A soil that develops from sediments deposited in a lake are considered to have a
_______ parent material.
-Colluvium
-Lacustrine
-Loess
-Alluvial
-Eolian - ANSWERLacustrine

Which process is an example of chemical weathering
-Hydrolysis
-Freeze/thaw cycles
-Fluctuations in temperature
-Abrasion by ice
-Physical abrasion by water - ANSWERHydrolysis

Which type of chemical weathering involves the transfer of electrons from one
element/ion/compound to another?