Explanation

(a) (i) Description of the procedure used ln conducting the experiment

• Some quantity of soil was weighed
• The soil was put in a 250cm measuring cylinder
• Some water was added to the soil in the cylinder to submerge the soil
• A little quantity of sodium carbonate was added into the cylinder
• A hand was placed over the opening of the cylinder
• The cylinder was then placed on a flat level bench for at least an hour to allow contents settle

(ii) Observations and results -

• The bigger gravels settled first
• The soil fractions settled in layers o
• Followed by sand
• And silt and
• Clay
• Colloids remained in suspension
• Humus and organic materials were seen floating
• Depth of each layer was read from the marks on the cylinder.

(b) Function of Specimen B (water) and Specimen C (sodium carbonate) in the experiment

 Water (Specimen) 

• Provides a medium for dispersing the soil and dissolve the chemical
• Enhances the differential settling of materials

Sodium Carbonate (Specimen C)

• Enhances complete dispersal of soil aggregates/faster
• Makes/renders the reading of the levels/layers easier 

(c) Precautions to take in carrying out the experiment -

• Cover the opening of the cylinder well to prevent spillage when shaking
• Do not add too much sodium carbonate to the soil as that will reduce readability of layers
• Allow sufficient time for content to settle properly
• Place cylinder on a horizontal surface to ensure correct reading
• Avoid error of parallax when reading results
• Enough water should be added to the soil to allow free floatation and sedimentation, otherwise, the experiment will not work.

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