Natural Water Content of Soils

The water content w, also called the moisture content, is defined as the ratio of weight of water Ww to the weight of solids (Ws or Wd) in a given mass of soil.

Equation 1. Natural water content expressed by weights
The water content is generally expressed as a percentage. However, when used in the formulae giving relationship between certain quantities, it may also be expressed as a fraction. Rewriting Eq. 1, we have Eq. 2.

Equation 2. Water content as a fraction
The usual procedure to find the natural water content is to take a mass of about 20 g to 30 g of soil sample in a container and determine its mass M very accurately. The soil sample is then kept in an oven (105°C–110°C) for about 24 hours so that it becomes perfectly dry. Its dry mass Md is then determined and the water content is calculated from the relation,

Equation 3. Natural water content expressed by masses

Water Content of Soils

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