What is the moisture content of soil if its original weight is 162.5 grams and the oven-dried weight is 138.2 grams?

To determine the moisture content of the soil, the formula used is:

[

\text{Moisture Content} (%) = \left( \frac{\text{Weight of Water Lost}}{\text{Oven-Dried Weight}} \right) \times 100

]

The weight of water lost can be found by subtracting the oven-dried weight from the original weight of the soil:

[

\text{Weight of Water Lost} = \text{Original Weight} - \text{Oven-Dried Weight} = 162.5 , \text{g} - 138.2 , \text{g} = 24.3 , \text{g}

]

Now, substituting the values into the moisture content formula gives:

[

\text{Moisture Content} (%) = \left( \frac{24.3 , \text{g}}{138.2 , \text{g}} \right) \times 100

]

Calculating the fraction:

[

\frac{24.3}{138.2} \approx 0.176

]

Multiplying by 100 to express it as a percentage results