Does Soil Affect the pH of Water?
To begin your project, gather soil samples from various locations, like your backyard, the school playground and a garden on a local farm (with permission). Be sure to keep each soil sample in its own, separate bag. Label the bags so you do not get them mixed up. Next, use a pH meter to measure and record the pH of each soil sample. Then, take three cups of tap water and measure and record the water’s pH. Take three clay planter pots (the kind with a hole in the bottom) and fill them halfway with the three different soils. Be sure to label the pots with the soil types. Pour water into each pot, one at a time, so that the water runs through the soil and drips out of the bottom. Use a small cup to catch the dripping water. Measure the pH of the water after it ran through the soil to see which soil samples caused the pH of the water to change the most and the least. Record your results and do research on soil to determine why one sample changed more than another (for example, the soil fro
