biological and chamical summary.docx

Certainly! Here are short and concise answers to each part of your query: **2.2.1 (a) Chemical features of soil:** - **Flocculation:** Aggregation of soil particles into clumps or aggregates, improving soil structure and porosity. - **Cation Exchange:** Process where soil cations (positiv...

Certainly! Here are short and concise answers to each part of your query: **2.2.1 (a) Chemical features of soil:** - **Flocculation:** Aggregation of soil particles into clumps or aggregates, improving soil structure and porosity. - **Cation Exchange:** Process where soil cations (positively charged ions like calcium, potassium, magnesium) are exchanged with other cations in the soil solution, affecting nutrient availability. - **pH and Liming:** pH measures soil acidity or alkalinity, affecting nutrient availability and microbial activity. Liming adjusts pH to optimal levels for plant growth. - **Plant-available nutrients:** Nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in forms that plants can uptake and use for growth. **2.2.1 (b) Conducting an investigation into the chemical properties of soil:** - **Demonstrate Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC):** Measure the soil\'s ability to hold and exchange cations, usually done by extracting cations from soil and quantifying them. - **Show Flocculation:** Add a flocculating agent like calcium chloride to soil-water mixtures and observe clumping of soil particles. - **Determine the pH:** Use a pH meter or indicator solution to measure soil pH, reflecting its acidity or alkalinity.