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Computational Questions — Soil Science Reviewer Questions

250 board-style Computational Questions items for the Agriculturist Licensure Examination. Try 10 questions free; lifetime access is ₱59. Texture drives water, water drives aeration, and aeration drives nutrient availability. Reason down that chain and most items unlock.

250 built-in questions in this topic · approved additions may publish live · part of Soil Science

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Sample Computational Questions questions with answers and explanations

Board-style items taken from the Soil Science bank. Every answer is explained, which is the part that makes a review question worth doing twice.

  1. An undisturbed soil core has an oven-dry mass of 164 g and a total core volume of 120 cm³. What is the soil bulk density? Round to two decimals.

    • A. 1.37 g/cm³ correct
    • B. 1.52 g/cm³
    • C. 0.73 g/cm³
    • D. 0.37 g/cm³

    Why: Bulk density = oven-dry soil mass ÷ bulk volume = 164/120 = 1.37 g/cm³.

  2. An undisturbed soil core has an oven-dry mass of 212 g and a total core volume of 150 cm³. What is the soil bulk density? Round to two decimals.

    • A. 1.57 g/cm³
    • B. 1.41 g/cm³ correct
    • C. 0.71 g/cm³
    • D. 0.41 g/cm³

    Why: Bulk density = oven-dry soil mass ÷ bulk volume = 212/150 = 1.41 g/cm³.

  3. An undisturbed soil core has an oven-dry mass of 256 g and a total core volume of 180 cm³. What is the soil bulk density? Round to two decimals.

    • A. 1.58 g/cm³
    • B. 0.70 g/cm³
    • C. 1.42 g/cm³ correct
    • D. 0.42 g/cm³

    Why: Bulk density = oven-dry soil mass ÷ bulk volume = 256/180 = 1.42 g/cm³.

  4. An undisturbed soil core has an oven-dry mass of 198 g and a total core volume of 140 cm³. What is the soil bulk density? Round to two decimals.

    • A. 1.57 g/cm³
    • B. 0.71 g/cm³
    • C. 0.41 g/cm³
    • D. 1.41 g/cm³ correct

    Why: Bulk density = oven-dry soil mass ÷ bulk volume = 198/140 = 1.41 g/cm³.

  5. A cylindrical core sampler has an internal radius of 2.5 cm and height of 5.0 cm. The oven-dry soil mass is 150 g. Using V = πr²h, what is the bulk density? Round to two decimals.

    • A. 1.53 g/cm³ correct
    • B. 1.91 g/cm³
    • C. 0.65 g/cm³
    • D. 0.38 g/cm³

    Why: Core volume = π(2.5)²(5.0) = 98.17 cm³; BD = 150/98.17 = 1.53 g/cm³.

  6. A cylindrical core sampler has an internal radius of 3.0 cm and height of 4.0 cm. The oven-dry soil mass is 185 g. Using V = πr²h, what is the bulk density? Round to two decimals.

    • A. 2.45 g/cm³
    • B. 1.64 g/cm³ correct
    • C. 0.61 g/cm³
    • D. 0.41 g/cm³

    Why: Core volume = π(3.0)²(4.0) = 113.10 cm³; BD = 185/113.10 = 1.64 g/cm³.

  7. A soil has an oven-dry mass of 132.5 g and the volume occupied by the soil solids alone is 50 cm³. What is its particle density?

    • A. 2.21 g/cm³
    • B. 0.38 g/cm³
    • C. 2.65 g/cm³ correct
    • D. 1.65 g/cm³

    Why: Particle density = dry mass ÷ volume of solids = 132.5/50 = 2.65 g/cm³.

  8. A soil has an oven-dry mass of 162 g and the volume occupied by the soil solids alone is 60 cm³. What is its particle density?

    • A. 2.31 g/cm³
    • B. 0.37 g/cm³
    • C. 1.70 g/cm³
    • D. 2.70 g/cm³ correct

    Why: Particle density = dry mass ÷ volume of solids = 162/60 = 2.70 g/cm³.

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A reliable method for soil science calculations

Most errors in soil science computations come from units or definitions rather than arithmetic. Before selecting a formula, write what the question gives, what it asks for and the basis of every value: dry mass or wet mass, soil volume or particle volume, hectare or square metre, percentage or decimal. Convert those units first and keep them beside each number throughout the solution.

Use physical meaning as the final check

After calculating bulk density, porosity, gravimetric water content, nutrient requirement or amendment rate, ask whether the answer could occur in an agricultural soil. Porosity should be consistent with bulk and particle density; a water-content percentage must use the basis specified in the problem; and a field recommendation must match the area and soil depth given. Estimating the expected range before using the choices is especially effective in a timed examination.

  1. List the known values and attach units to each one.
  2. State the target variable and choose the equation from its definition.
  3. Convert units, solve, then test the sign, scale and physical plausibility.
  4. Round only at the end unless the choices clearly require an approximation.

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