Question

For determination of moisture content in a soil sample, the moist sample is put in the oven for a period of:

• A. 10 hours
• B. 14 hours
• C. 20 hours
• D. 24 hours

Hint:

The standard for the oven-drying method is crucial to remember: a temperature of 105\(^{\circ}\)C and a duration of 24 hours. This ensures that free water evaporates without burning off the soil's organic matter.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Review the standard method for measuring soil moisture. The oven-drying technique is the most prevalent and precise approach for this analysis. It entails weighing a damp soil sample, desiccating it in an oven at a set temperature until a constant mass is achieved, and then re-weighing the sample.
Step 2: Determine the standard drying duration. For complete water evaporation from the sample, it is usually placed in the oven for 24 hours at a temperature of 105\(^{\circ}\)C to 110\(^{\circ}\)C. Following this initial 24-hour period, the sample is weighed. If consecutive weighings reveal no weight difference, indicating complete moisture removal, the sample may be returned to the oven for additional shorter drying intervals. The standard initial drying time is 24 hours.