Question

……………. is used to make pots, toys and statues.
A. Silt
B. Loamy soil
C. Sandy soil
D. None of the above

Answer 1

Hint:-Soil is one of the most important natural resources consisting mainly of five ingredients, which are water, minerals, organic compounds, gas, and living matter. Soil can be categorised into various forms based upon the size of particles in it.

Complete answer:
The classification of soil is generally done on the basis of the particle size. The percentage of the different sized soil particles determines its texture. As the organic matter, mainly plants and animals, dead-decay matter is present in the soil. Some important types of soils which are found commonly are clayey soil, sandy soil, silted soil, loamy soil, and peat soil.
Clayey soil is a heavy soil having very small particles present in it. The soil particles are very tightly packed, so the water remains in the soil for a longer period of time and does not drain fast. Also, this type of soil contains a high percentage of clay in it (more than 25%), and thus clay particles hold water for a long time. Clay exhibits plasticity when water is mixed with it and when it is dried, it becomes firm. This property of clayey soil is very useful for pottery. So, clay is used to make things such as pots, toys, and statues.
Thus, the right option is D.

Additional information:-
- Silt is a granular soil containing particles between the sizes of clay and sand. It is found as quartz and feldspar.
- Sandy soil is very light and dry. Generally very less amount of nutrients is present in it and contains high amounts of sand along with some amount of clay. It has a poor quality for growing plants and water holding capacity is also not good.
- Loamy soil is made up of mixing sand, clay, and silt soil together to overcome their negative qualities and to integrate their valuable qualities making the soil very fertile with lots of nutrients present in it.

Note:- Due to the presence of a high amount of clay in the soil, clayey soil is sticky to touch in wet form. In dry form, it has a smooth texture. Clay is one of the heaviest and densest materials present in the soil.