Feb. s, 1917 
Measurement of Inactive Moisture in Soil 
201 
EXPERIMENTAL WORK 
QUANTITY OF WATER SOILS CAUSE TO BECOME UNFREE, AS INDICATED 
BY QUANTITY OF WATER THAT FAILS TO FREEZE 
In accordance with the foregoing method, the amount of water that 
the soils cause to become unfree or inactive as indicated by the quantity 
of water that fails to freeze was determined. The soils employed varied 
both in type and origin. As to origin, many of the soils used had come 
from several different States. The results obtained are shown in Table I. 
The amount of water that fails to freeze is expressed both in cubic 
centimeters and in percentage of the 5 c. c. of water added to 25 gm. of 
soil. In every case the temperature of the bath was — 4 0 C., the soil 
was supercooled to 3 0 , and the readings are only of the first freezing. 
Table I .—Amount of water that fails to freeze in 5 c. c. added to different soils 
State and name of soil. 
Water 
failing 
to 
freeze. 
Added 
water 
failing 
to 
freeze. 
State and name of soil. 
Water 
failing 
to 
freeze. 
Added 
water 
failing 
to 
freeze. 
C. c. 
Per cent , 
C . c. 
Percent , 
Quartz sand. 
0.10 
2.0 
Florida: 
Michigan: 
Sand... 
0* 50 
10.0 
gp-nd t . 
. 30 
6.0 
Do. 
* 5 ° 
Sand y loam . 
.So 
16.0 
Do. 
*50 
* 55 
10*0 
Do . 
1.50 
30.0 
Do. 
II.0 
Do. 
i-IS 
30.0 
Minnesota: 
gilt ]natn . 
2.00 
40.0 
Sand. 
• KO 
IO# O 
Do . 
2.30 
46.0 
Sandy loam. 
I* KO 
Heavy silt Inam 
2.80 
56.0 
Clay. 
* D 
A, OO 
80.0 
Do. 
3.10 
62.0 
Washington: 
Do . 
3.50 
70.0 
Sand. 
, 50 
10* 0 
Do . 
3-70 
74-0 
Fine sandy loam. 
T. Iff 
23 . Q 
Kentucky: 
Silt loam . 
1.65 
33 -o 
Sandy loam 
. 90 
18.0 
Do . 
2 , OO 
I'j.q Crow paridy Inattl 
I* 15 
23 . O 
Do . 
2* OO 
Parrinptnn loam . 
2« 80 
56. O 
Heavy silt loam.. 
2* 20 
40* O 
A A. O 
Marshall silt loam. 
2.90 
58.0 
Wisconsin: 
Texas: 
Plainfield sand.. 
.40 
8.0 
gand . 
. 20 
5 * 0 
Miami silt loam . 
I. AO 
28- O 
Do . 
■ 3 ° 
6.0 
Carrington silt loam . 
I* OO 
32 * O 
Fine sandy loam . 
* 50 
10- 0 
Colby silt loam . 
2. 20 
O ^ v 
A A. A 
Sandy loam . 
. 90 
18.0 
Superior clay . 
3 * 5 ° 
t ¥r* v 
70.0 
Crawford clay . 
2. 70 
54 -o 
Pennsylvania; 
Hplistnn black clay . 
3. OO 
60.0 
Silt loam . 
T # AO 
28.0 
Do . 
1,50 
30-0 
California: 
Clay loam. 
2 . OO 
40.0 
The results presented in Table I are really of great significance. They 
show that not all of the water added to the soils freezes; some of it refuses 
to freeze, and the amount that fails to freeze is entirely different in the 
various soils. It varies from 2 per cent in the case of quartz sand to 80 
per cent in the case of Minnesota clay, of the 5 c. c. of water added to 
25 gm. of soils. It increases, therefore, from the simple and noncol- 
loidal types of soil to the complex and colloidal types. 
If it is assumed that only free water freezes, then the water which 
fails to freeze is inactive or unfree, and has been transformed into this 
condition by the soils themselves. 
