Soil Science: Composition, Minerals & Rocks is one of 9 topics in the Grade 10 Agricultural Sciences CAPS syllabus, covered across 3 lessons on Study Vault. Below are real practice questions from this topic with full worked answers.
Sample practice questions
Easy
1. Which of the following is one of the four major components of soil?
Mineral particles
Sunlight
Livestock
Fertiliser only
Answer: Mineral particles — The four major components of soil are mineral particles, organic matter, soil water and soil air.
Easy
2. What is the name given to well-decomposed organic matter in soil?
Answer: humus — Humus is the term for well-decomposed organic matter in soil, formed from decomposed plant and animal material.
Medium
3. Mineral particles in soil are classified by size into which three categories?
Sand, silt and clay
Sand, humus and clay
Rock, mineral and organic matter
Topsoil, subsoil and bedrock
Answer: Sand, silt and clay — Mineral particles are classified by size into sand (largest), silt (medium) and clay (smallest); their relative proportions determine soil texture.
