Physical Properties of Soil

Physical properties of soil include color, texture, structure, porosity, density, consistence, temperature, and air. Colors of soils vary widely and indicate such important properties as organic matter, water, and redox conditions. Soil texture, structure, porosity, density, and consistence are related with types of soil particles and their arrangement. There are two types of soil particles—primary and secondary. Primary particles include sand, silt, and clay, categorized on the basis of their effective diameter. There are important differences in physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties of these fractions. Their relative proportion in a soil is called soil texture. It is a fundamental property of soil. It is not easily altered. There are 12 textural classes ranging from sand to clay. Soil structure is…