The soil fabric on the wet side of optimum is
- ADispersedCorrect
- BFlocculated
- CCan be either flocculated or dispersed
- DNone of the above
Solution
Concept
Soil Structure in Compacted Clay
Formula
No formula applicable
Step-by-step solution
1. Identify that soil compacted on the wet side of optimum moisture content has higher water content, which increases repulsive forces between clay particles. 2. Recognize that repulsive forces cause clay particles to align parallel to each other, forming a dispersed structure (Option A).
Explanation
On the wet side of optimum moisture content, the higher amount of water increases the repulsive forces between clay particles. This causes the particles to align parallel to each other in a smooth, oriented structure known as a dispersed soil fabric.
Shortcut
Remember "W-D" and "D-F": - Wet side = Dispersed (Water Disperses particles) - Dry side = Flocculated
Common mistake
Students often confuse the soil structure types for the dry and wet sides of optimum, incorrectly selecting "Flocculated" (Option B) instead of "Dispersed" (Option A) by confusing which side produces parallel particle alignment.
Correct answer: A) Dispersed