The property of soil mass which permits the seepage of water through its interconnecting voids is called
- ACapillarity
- BPermeabilityCorrect
- CPorosity
- DTransmissivity
Solution
Concept
Permeability is the ability of soil to allow water to flow through its connected voids.
Formula
v = k i (Darcy's law)
Step-by-step solution
1. Water flows through the connected voids of soil. 2. The property that allows this flow is permeability. 3. It is measured by the coefficient of permeability k. 4. So the answer is option B.
Explanation
Permeability tells how easily water passes through the interconnected voids of a soil. It is measured by k in Darcy's law. Gravels have high permeability and clays have very low permeability.
Why the other options are wrong
A: Capillarity is the rise of water in small pores due to surface tension. C: Porosity is the ratio of void volume to total volume, not flow. D: Transmissivity is k times aquifer thickness, used for aquifers.
Shortcut
Seepage through voids = Permeability.
Common mistake
Choosing porosity. A soil can have high porosity (clay) but very low permeability.
Correct answer: B) Permeability