Question

students sampled several different gardens near their school and measured the percentages of silt, sand, clay, and humus content present in each sample. their results are shown in the table below.

sample	percent silt	percent sand	percent clay	percent humus
b	40	10	15	35
c	30	30	10	20
d	20	25	45	5

based on the data in the table above, which of the following samples would be the most prone to becoming waterlogged?

a sample a

b sample b

c sample c

d sample d

Explanation:

To determine which sample is most prone to waterlogging, we use the knowledge that clay - rich soils have small particle sizes, which results in very low permeability. Soils with low permeability are more likely to retain water and become waterlogged. We now analyze the clay content of each sample:

• Sample A has 10% clay.
• Sample B has 15% clay.
• Sample C has 10% clay.
• Sample D has 45% clay.

Among all the samples, Sample D has the highest percentage of clay. Since a higher clay content means lower permeability and a greater tendency to hold water, Sample D is the most likely to become waterlogged.

Answer:

D. Sample D