1.
Tear off a 25 cm
(10") length of aluminum foil [Figure (a)]
2.
Fold the foil in half
(perpendicular to the long axis) to make a rectangle. You will have two open sides, an open top and a closed (folded)
side [Figure (b)]
3.
For each of the left and
right open sides, fold the edges approximately 1 cm (˝") toward the center
of the rectangle. Repeat this step
three more times. You now have a foil
pouch with three folded sides and one open top [Figure (c)] NOTICE: Use
caution when folding; cut foil edges can be sharp and could result in cuts on
fingers!
4.
Label the foil pouch as
you would a soil sample can, with your name, your school’s name, and a unique
sample ID number, and the mass of the pouch. Later, when you collect the soil
sample, you may want to label the foil pouch with the sample location
name.[Figure (d)]
5.
Weigh the foil
pouch. Record the weight on the foil
with the permanent marker pen.
In the field:
6.
Fill your foil pouch ˝
full with soil
7.
Fold the top of your
foil pouch approximately three times, taking care not to tear holes in the
pouch [Figure (e)]
8.
Place your soil-filled
foil pouch into a plastic ziploc-type bag to minimize moisture loss.
9.
Label your ziploc bag
with the same information that is on the foil pouch
10.
When you weigh your
moist soil sample, note on your data sheet whether or not you weighed the
sample with or without the plastic ziploc bag.
(a) (b) (c)
(d)
(e)
