Date: 04-05-2020
CH- 3
PRECIOUS SOIL
Define
1. Soil - Soil is a valuable natural resource made from rocks. It is the
uppermost layer of the earth’s surface in which plants grow.
2. Humus - The dead parts of plants and animals called humus. It makes the soil
rich and fertile.
3. Fertile - The soil rich in nutrients.
4. Manure - Manure is a mixture of animal dung and decaying leaves.
Answer these questions
Q1. How do rocks change to soil?
Ans. The action of the sun, the rain and the wind broke up the rocks to make soil.
Q2. Is the size of the particles same in different types of soil? Explain.
Ans. No, the sizes of the particles are different in different types of soil.
This is because the particles in the sandy soil are larger and smaller in clayey
soil.
Q3. How will you show that soil contains moisture?
Ans (i) Take some soil in a container and cover it with a lid.
ii) Heat the container over a low flame.
iii) Open the lid. You will see drops of water on the lid. This proves that soil
contains water.
Q4. What are the different kinds of soil?
Ans. The three kinds of soil are
i. Sandy soil
ii. Clayey soil
iii. Loamy soil
Q5. Why do farmers add manure to the soil?
Ans. Farmers add manure to the soil because manure is rich in humus and it makes
the soil fertile.
Q6. Hari is a potter. What kind of soil would he use for making pots? Why?
Ans. Hari used clayey soil for making pots because it is made up of very fine
particles which stick together.
Extra questions
Q1. Explain the process of soil formation.
Ans.i.) In the beginning the earth was full of big rocks.
ii) The sun heated up the rocks ,the rain cooled them and wind blew over them.
iii) This heating and cooling over thousands of years broke down the big rocks into
smaller rocks.
iv) The smaller rocks continued to break down and formed tiny pieces of soil. Dead
plants and animals also mix with the soil.
Q2. What does soil contain?
Ans. Soil contains
i) humus
ii) clay
iii) sand and stones
iv) air and water
Q3. Why is loamy soil good for plants?
Ans. Loamy soil is good for plants because it contains air, water and humus. Humus
makes the soil fertile.
Q4. Write two uses of soil.
Ans. The two uses of soil are
i) Soil is very useful for the plants to grow.
ii) Soil is home to many animals and insects like snails, earthworms and
centipedes.
Q5. What is loamy soil?
Ans. Loamy soil is formed when sandy and clayey soils are mixed. It can
hold both air and water. It also contains humus that makes the soil fertile.
Q6. What is sandy soil?
Ans. i) Sandy soil has large sand particles with lots of air spaces between them.
ii) Sandy soil cannot hold much water.
iii) It is mostly found in the desert and on the seashore.
