Cs382/Soil Density Experiment

This is a detailed description of one experiment listed on the CS382 course page

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Goal

The goal of this experiment is to determine the density of the soil contained within the groundwater simulator.

Equipment

• enVision sand and gravel groundwater simulator
• water
• method of measuring water
• ruler

Procedure

1. Empty the groundwater simulator of water and allow it to dry as much as possible.
2. Close the ocean valve.
3. Fill the aquifer compartment with a known amount of water such that the water level stays below the aquitard.
4. Measure the inner dimensions of the aquifer compartment (width and depth) making sure to not include the thickness of the walls in your measurements.
5. Measure the distance from the bottom of the inner compartment to the top of the water level.
6. Calculate the volume of space, <math>v(w2)</math>, filled by the water that you put into the simulator (<math>width * height * depth</math>)
7. Convert the known amount of water you added to the simulator (<math>v(w1)</math>)into the units of measurement you used for <math>v(w2)</math>.
8. Calculate the soil's density as <math>(v(w2)-v(w1))/v(w2)</math>

Results

• How might you repeat this experiment to determine the soil density of the sand in the simulator?

Considerations for a Computer Based Simulation

• How might you represent the soil density measured here in a cell based world?