ERIC Number: EJ1250839
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Apr
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Phosphate in Soils: An Undergraduate Exploration of Soil Texture, Chemistry, and Amendment
Crisler, Glenn B., II.; Perera, Viveka; Hernandez, Cintly Guzman; Orr, Andre; Davis, Roger; Moore, Jessie; Smith, James; Varco, Jac; Schauwecker, Tim; Brown, Ashli; Mlsna, Todd; Mlsna, Deb
Journal of Chemical Education, v97 n4 p1077-1082 Apr 2020
This paper presents an experimental lab designed for undergraduate students which focuses on soil science and chemistry. Students perform a series of tests to classify soil's phosphate retaining characteristics, texture, pH, organic matter content, and permeability with the addition of a novel soil amendment, Al Mg biochar. This lab has minimal cost as most chemicals are inexpensive and a soil column is crafted from a used water bottle, filter paper, and masking tape. Students apply their measurements to understand how agriculture plays a role in ocean and watershed health and how soil-testing, soil amendments, and responsible farming practices can minimize agriculture's footprint. It is important for agriculturally focused students to understand how soil chemistry relates to crop yields, and the importance of responsible agricultural practices. Learning outcomes and student attitudes from this experiment were assessed to evaluate the experiment.
Descriptors: Science Instruction, Science Laboratories, Science Experiments, Laboratory Experiments, College Science, Undergraduate Study, Soil Science, Chemistry, Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A