SWS 3022 Exam 1 Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
Which horizon closely resembles the parent material? - ✔✔Horizon C
Which horizon is the zone of eluviation? - ✔✔Horizon E
Which horizon is the uppermost mineral horizon? - ✔✔Horizon A
Which horizon has greater than 20% O.M., dark in color? - ✔✔Horizon O
Which horizon is the zone of illuviation? - ✔✔Horizon B
Refers to the measure of the degree of lightness or darkness, to total amount of light
reflected. - ✔✔VALUE
Refers to the measure of the strength or intensity of the spectral color. - ✔✔CHROMA
Refers to the dominant spectral color. - ✔✔HUE
Soil A contains 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay
Soil B contains 55% sand, 5% silt, and 40% clay
Which soil has the greater specific surface area? - ✔✔Soil B
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 1
, A 40 gram soil sample is placed in a 1-Liter sedimentation cylinder. After shaking the
cylinder to suspend the particles, a hydrometer reading is taken after 2 minutes. The
hydrometer reading is 30 g/L. The soil is allowed to settle for 6 hours. The hydrometer
reading at that time is 8 g/L.
What is the % clay content of the sample? - ✔✔20% Clay
8 g/L / 40 g/L = 0.2
A soil horizon has a color of 10 YR 8/1 and is very sandy. This is most likely _____
horizon. - ✔✔Horizon E
A subsurface soil horizon has a color of 5 YR 6/8 and has a texture of sandy clay loam.
This is most likely _____ horizon. - ✔✔Horizon B
You have a 100 cm^3 sample of soil A. The sample is oven dried and weighed. The
weight is 160 grams. What is the bulk density of soil A? - ✔✔1.6 g/cm^3
160/100 = 1.6
You have a 100 cm^3 sample of soil A. The sample is over dried and weighed. The
weight is 160 grams. What is the porosity of soil A? - ✔✔40%
1-(1.6/2.65) * 100 = 40%
You have a 100 cm^3 sample of soil B. The sample is oven dried and weighed. The
weight is 120 grams. What is the bulk density of soil B? - ✔✔1.2 g/cm^3
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 2
Answers 100% Pass
Which horizon closely resembles the parent material? - ✔✔Horizon C
Which horizon is the zone of eluviation? - ✔✔Horizon E
Which horizon is the uppermost mineral horizon? - ✔✔Horizon A
Which horizon has greater than 20% O.M., dark in color? - ✔✔Horizon O
Which horizon is the zone of illuviation? - ✔✔Horizon B
Refers to the measure of the degree of lightness or darkness, to total amount of light
reflected. - ✔✔VALUE
Refers to the measure of the strength or intensity of the spectral color. - ✔✔CHROMA
Refers to the dominant spectral color. - ✔✔HUE
Soil A contains 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay
Soil B contains 55% sand, 5% silt, and 40% clay
Which soil has the greater specific surface area? - ✔✔Soil B
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 1
, A 40 gram soil sample is placed in a 1-Liter sedimentation cylinder. After shaking the
cylinder to suspend the particles, a hydrometer reading is taken after 2 minutes. The
hydrometer reading is 30 g/L. The soil is allowed to settle for 6 hours. The hydrometer
reading at that time is 8 g/L.
What is the % clay content of the sample? - ✔✔20% Clay
8 g/L / 40 g/L = 0.2
A soil horizon has a color of 10 YR 8/1 and is very sandy. This is most likely _____
horizon. - ✔✔Horizon E
A subsurface soil horizon has a color of 5 YR 6/8 and has a texture of sandy clay loam.
This is most likely _____ horizon. - ✔✔Horizon B
You have a 100 cm^3 sample of soil A. The sample is oven dried and weighed. The
weight is 160 grams. What is the bulk density of soil A? - ✔✔1.6 g/cm^3
160/100 = 1.6
You have a 100 cm^3 sample of soil A. The sample is over dried and weighed. The
weight is 160 grams. What is the porosity of soil A? - ✔✔40%
1-(1.6/2.65) * 100 = 40%
You have a 100 cm^3 sample of soil B. The sample is oven dried and weighed. The
weight is 120 grams. What is the bulk density of soil B? - ✔✔1.2 g/cm^3
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 2
