MOISTURE CONTENT

INTRODUCTION
The amount of water associated with a given volume or mass of soil ("soil water" or "soil
moisture") is a highly variable property. It can change on time scales of minutes to
years. However, most soil properties are more stable, and should be referenced to dry soil
weight.
AIM
To datermaine the moisture of the given sample of soil using data that read off recorded the
experiment.
ACTIVITIES
To datermine the amount yhe percentage of moisture content soils. The water content is the ratio
ofthe mass of water in a given mass of soil to the dry soil solids. The awter content of soils is
also responsible for in ascertaining soil proper and behaviour . it is significantin starting yhe
phase relationship of air, water and solids given volume of soil.
OBJECTIVE
The wter content is the most frequently datermined soil characteristic.it is definedas the ratio of
tha weight of water tothe weight of the dry soil grains in a soil mass.the standart method of
datermining the moisture content is by over drying at 105-110 degrees but several other methods
are available as rapid alternative more suitable to site condition.
MATERIAL

Measuring cylinder

Beaker (250 ml)

Drying oven

Weighing balance

PROCEDURE
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

The five containers were labeled the using letter a- e in sequence

Weight of can A and it was measure and recorded as WI (g).
The soil was added to the can and its weight was measured.
The electric oven was then set a 105C and the cans were then placed in the oven 4 hours
The measured weight was then recorded as W2 (g).
The cans were then taken out from the oven and put it in desiccators for a few minute be
allow to cool.

7) The new weight of the cans were then measure and recorded as W3 (g).
8) These steps were then repeated for each of the sample containers.

DISCUSSION

Sample C and A had the highest and the lowest weight for W2 and W3 WHERE w2 was the we
of the wet soil and petri sidh and W3 was the weight of the dry soil and Petri dish. When the
mass of the soil solids and the massof the pore water were calculated. Sample C give higest
weight . the Petri dish that was used for this sample was also the higest and sample A was the
lowest.
CONCLUSION
The average moisture content of all a 5 sample gave a caculated value of 23.414% which the
natural moisture content of tha soil sample that was given. The calcullated differences result the
sample were 0.710% fromthe highest to the lowest. From the calculations sample data shown to
have the highest moiture content at a value of 23% and the sample C had the lowest moiture
content at a value of 22.15% .