What does the term 'plasticity index' indicate in soil mechanics?
Practice Questions
Q1
What does the term 'plasticity index' indicate in soil mechanics?
The range of moisture content over which soil behaves plastically
The soil's shear strength
The soil's compaction characteristics
The soil's permeability
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What does the term 'plasticity index' indicate in soil mechanics?
Step 1: Understand that 'plasticity index' is a term used in soil mechanics.
Step 2: Know that it measures how much moisture a soil can hold while still being plastic (able to change shape).
Step 3: Learn that the plasticity index is calculated by finding the difference between two specific moisture contents: the liquid limit and the plastic limit.
Step 4: The liquid limit is the moisture content at which soil changes from a plastic state to a liquid state.
Step 5: The plastic limit is the moisture content at which soil changes from a semi-solid state to a plastic state.
Step 6: The formula for plasticity index is: Plasticity Index = Liquid Limit - Plastic Limit.
