An alkaline soil contains 20% clay and 3% humus.If the pure clay has a CEC of 40 cmol_c/kg and the humus 200 cmol_c/kg,calculate the CEC/kg of the soil. A)8 B)30 C)12 D)16 E)14

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) of the soil can be calculated by taking into account the contributions from both the clay and the humus. The calculation is as follows:- For clay: 20% of the soil is clay, and its CEC is 40 cmol(+)/kg. Therefore, its contribution is 0.20 * 40 = 8 cmol(+)/kg.- For humus: 3% of the soil is humus, and its CEC is 200 cmol(+)/kg. Therefore, its contribution is 0.03 * 200 = 6 cmol(+)/kg.Adding these contributions together gives a total CEC for the soil of 8 + 6 = 14 cmol(+)/kg.

An Alkaline Soil Contains 20% Clay and 3% Humus