Comparative characteristics of sand silt and clay
|
Sl.
|
Characteristics
|
Sand
|
Silt
|
Clay
|
|
1.
|
Size
|
2.0-0.02 mm
|
0.02-0.002 mm
|
Below 0.002 mm
|
|
2.
|
Visibility
|
Visible by micro scope
|
Visible by micro scope
|
Visible by ultra-microscope
|
|
3.
|
Water-holding capacity
|
Low
|
Medium
|
High
|
|
4.
|
Total pore space
|
Least
|
Medium
|
Highest
|
|
5.
|
Size of pore
|
Large
|
Medium
|
Very small
|
|
6.
|
Movement of air and water
|
Very rapid
|
Moderate
|
Slow
|
|
7.
|
Plasticity, swelling and cohesion
|
Very low
|
Moderate
|
Very high
|
|
8.
|
Feel on rubbing between thumb and fingers
|
Gritty
|
Like flour or talcum powder
|
Feels very plastic and sticky when wet and become hard under dry condition
|
|
9.
|
Tillage
|
Easy
|
Moderate
|
Difficult
|
|
10.
|
Fertility
|
Very Low
|
Moderate
|
High
|
|
11.
|
Minerals
|
Quartz dominates
|
Feldspar, mica, hematite, limonite, quartz
|
Kaolinite, montmorillonite and illite
|
|
12.
|
Chemical activity
|
Chemically inactive
|
Slightly active
|
Very active
|
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