Question

For determining the moisture content of a soil sample, the following data is available. Weight of container = \( 260 \, \text{g} \), Weight of soil sample and container = \( 320 \, \text{g} \), Weight of soil sample (dried) and container = \( 310 \, \text{g} \). The moisture content of soil sample is

• A. \( 15\% \)
• B. \( 18\% \)
• C. \( 20\% \)
• D. \( 25\% \)

Hint:

Moisture content is a fundamental property of soil that indicates the amount of water present in a soil sample relative to the weight of its dry solids. It is essential for various geotechnical analyses, including compaction, shear strength, and consolidation. The oven-drying method is a standard procedure for its determination.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Identify the given data.
Let \( W_c \) be the weight of the empty container. Given \( W_c = 260 \, \text{g} \). Let \( W_{cs} \) be the weight of the soil sample (wet) and container. Given \( W_{cs} = 320 \, \text{g} \). Let \( W_{cds} \) be the weight of the soil sample (dried) and container. Given \( W_{cds} = 310 \, \text{g} \).
Step 2: Calculate the weight of water in the soil sample (\( W_w \)).
The weight of water is the difference between the weight of the wet soil sample plus container and the weight of the dried soil sample plus container.
$$W_w = W_{cs} - W_{cds}$$
$$W_w = 320 \, \text{g} - 310 \, \text{g}$$
$$W_w = 10 \, \text{g}$$
Step 3: Calculate the weight of dry soil solids (\( W_s \)).
The weight of dry soil solids is the difference between the weight of the dried soil sample plus container and the weight of the empty container.
$$W_s = W_{cds} - W_c$$
$$W_s = 310 \, \text{g} - 260 \, \text{g}$$
$$W_s = 50 \, \text{g}$$
Step 4: Calculate the moisture content (\( w \)).
The moisture content (or water content) is defined as the ratio of the weight of water to the weight of dry soil solids, expressed as a percentage.
$$w = \frac{W_w}{W_s} \times 100%$$
$$w = \frac{10 \, \text{g}}{50 \, \text{g}} \times 100%$$
$$w = \frac{1}{5} \times 100%$$
$$w = 0.20 \times 100%$$
$$w = 20%$$
Step 5: Select the correct option.
Based on the calculation, the moisture content of the soil sample is \( 20% \). $$\boxed{20%}$$