Soil Vocabulary
Clay: the smallest grain size, or sediment piece, that makes up soil. When it is wet, it feels sticky.
Components: the parts of an object or a system.
Humus: the broken down remains of plants and animals found in soil. Humus can hold large amounts of
water and nutrients.
Particle: a very small portion of matter; a small piece of something.
Sand: the largest grain size, or sediment piece, that makes up soil. It feels gritty.
Sediment: the pieces of rocks and minerals that are created by weathering.
Silt: the grain size, or sediment piece, that is smaller than sand but larger than clay. It feels like flour.
Soil: a mixture of water, air, sediments (minerals), and humus that covers most of the Earth’s land
surface.
Top soil: the top layer of soil. Subsoil and parent material lie beneath the top soil.
Retention: the amount of water the soil holds onto.
Soil Vocabulary
Clay: the smallest grain size, or sediment piece, that makes up soil. When it is wet, it feels sticky.
Components: the parts of an object or a system.
Humus: the broken down remains of plants and animals found in soil. Humus can hold large amounts of
water and nutrients.
Particle: a very small portion of matter; a small piece of something.
Sand: the largest grain size, or sediment piece, that makes up soil. It feels gritty.
Sediment: the pieces of rocks and minerals that are created by weathering.
Silt: the grain size, or sediment piece, that is smaller than sand but larger than clay. It feels like flour.
Soil: a mixture of water, air, sediments (minerals), and humus that covers most of the Earth’s land
surface.
Top soil: the top layer of soil. Subsoil and parent material lie beneath the top soil.
Retention: the amount of water the soil holds onto.