Through a series of demonstrations and hands-on exercises, students are taught how Physical properties are often referred to as observables.They are not modal properties. Physical Properties a. Horizonation. Soil, Physical Characteristics of Soil physical properties are those related to the size and arrangement of solid particles, and how the movement of liquids and gases through soils is affected by the particles. Soil mineral particles are derived from the weathering of rocks and minerals. Soil texture. Soil physical properties are then addressed, including texture, structure, organic mat-ter, and permeability, with special attention to those properties that affect farming and gardening. Soil is made up of different-sized particles. Quantifiable physical property is called physical quantity. Particle size and distribution will affect a soil's capacity for holding water and nutrients. Soil Texture. A soil’s physical and chemical properties affect plant growth and soil management. Its formation is related to the parent Rock material, relief, climate, and vegetation. In some soils, they show evidence of the actions of the soil forming processes. A rock is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. Most soils are a combination of the three. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition and the way in which it is formed. It is applied to management and prediction under natural and managed ecosystems.Soil physics deals with the dynamics of physical soil components and their phases as solid, liquids, and gases.It draws on the principles of physics, physical chemistry, engineering, and meteorology. Sand particles are the largest and clay particles the smallest. The combinations of these determine the soil’s properties – its texture, structure, porosity, chemistry and colour. Surface area of soil affects its physical and chemical properties and is largely determined by amount of clay present in soil: Specific surface area of soil particles Effective Area Specific Surface Area Particle Diameter (cm) Mass (g) (cm2) (cm2 g-1) Gravel 2 x 10-1 1.13 x 10-2 1.3 x 10-1 11.1 Sand 5 x 10-3 1.77 x 10-7 7.9 x 10-5 444.4 Fine textured soils generally have a higher capacity for water retention, whereas sandy soils contain large pore spaces that allow leaching. Some important physical and chemical properties of soil are mineral content, texture, cation exchange capacity, bulk density, structure, porosity, organic matter content, carbon-to-ni-trogen ratio, color, depth, fertility, and pH. They are typically parallel with the ground surface. O horizons are dominated by organic material. Chemical and physical properties of a soil are related to texture. The particles that make up soil are categorized into three groups by size – sand, silt, and clay. It is a mixture of many different things including rock, minerals, water and air.Soil also has living things and dead things in it. Soil physics is the study of soil's physical properties and processes. Geotechnical investigations are performed by geotechnical engineers or engineering geologists to obtain information on the physical properties of soil earthworks and foundations for proposed structures and for repair of distress to earthworks and structures caused by subsurface conditions. Soil organic matter is the product of microbial decomposition of the remains of plants and animals. Physical Properties of Soil. Text and/or other creative content from this version of Soil was copied or moved into Physical properties of soil with this edit.The former page's history now serves to provide attribution for that content in the latter page, and it must not be deleted so long as the latter page exists. Soil is the loose material which forms the thin surface layer of Earth. 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