Question

Arrange the soil in the decreasing order of soil wetness
(A) Friable/firm
(B) Very plastic
(C) Hard
(D) Indunated
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :

• A. (A), (B), (C), (D).
• B. (B), (C), (D),(A).
• C. (B), (A), (C), (D).
• D. (C), (B), (D), (A).

Hint:

Associate consistency terms directly with moisture groups:
- Wet soil $\rightarrow$ Plastic Sticky (highest wetness).
- Moist soil $\rightarrow$ Friable Firm (intermediate wetness).
- Dry soil $\rightarrow$ Loose Soft Hard Indurated (lowest wetness).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Soil consistency refers to the physical behavior of soil (its resistance to rupture, deformation, or flow) at varying moisture content levels.
As soil moisture decreases from saturated to oven-dry, soil consistency transitions through distinct physical states.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the moisture levels associated with the consistency states listed in the options:
- (B) Very plastic: Plasticity is a characteristic of wet soils.
A "very plastic" soil contains a high percentage of water (near or above its plastic limit), allowing it to be easily molded and deformed without crumbling. This represents the wettest state among the options.
- (A) Friable/firm: This state represents moist soil consistency.
"Friable" soil is at an optimum moisture level for agricultural tillage, where the soil crumbles easily under gentle pressure, representing intermediate wetness.
- (C) Hard: This is a characteristic of dry soil consistency.
"Hard" soil has lost almost all of its capillary moisture and offers significant resistance to breaking, representing low wetness.
- (D) Indurated: This represents an extremely dry, permanently cemented, or hardened state (such as hardpans or ironstones) with virtually zero soil moisture.
Arranging these states in decreasing order of soil wetness (from wettest to driest):
\[ \text{Very plastic (B)} > \text{Friable/firm (A)} > \text{Hard (C)} > \text{Indurated (D)} \]
This corresponds to the sequence: (B), (A), (C), (D).
This matches Option (C).

Step 4: Final Answer:
The correct decreasing order of soil wetness is (B), (A), (C), (D).