Geotechnical Engineering Questions and Answers – Solid Particles in Soil

Geotechnical Engineering Objective Questions

This set of Geotechnical Engineering Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Solid Particles in Soil”.

1. The particle of coarse-grained are composed of ___________

A) Primary minerals
B) Non-clay minerals
C) Clay minerals
D) Crystalline minerals

Answer is A)
Explanation: Coarse-grained particle is usually made of primary minerals.

2. The fine-grained soil are composed of __________

A) Crystalline minerals and Amorphous materials
B) Primary minerals
C) All of the mentioned
D) None of the mentioned

Answer is A)
Explanation: Many investigations by Girm (1959) show that the fine-grained soil is composed predominantly of crystalline minerals and amorphous materials.

3. The behavior of bulky particles in coarse grained soil is governed by ___________

A) Gravitational force and Mass energy
B) Colloidal force
C) All of the mentioned
D) None of the mentioned

Answer is A)
Explanation: The bulky particle does not possess the property of plasticity and cohesion.

4. The crystalline minerals whose surface activity is such that, they develop cohesion and plasticity are called __________

A) Non-clay minerals
B) Clay minerals
C) Bulky particles
D) Primary minerals

Answer is B)
Explanation: As the surface activity of clay minerals is high they develop a property of cohesion and plasticity.

5. Clay particles behave like ___________

A) Colloids
B) Amorphous solids
C) Crystalline particles
D) Non-colloids

Answer is A)
Explanation: Clay minerals have high surface like colloids and are controlled by surface energy, they behave like colloids.

6. A montmorillonite platelet has a specific surface/volume equal to ____________

A) 120/μ
B) 100/ μ
C) 500/ μ
D) 1000/ μ

Answer is D)
Explanation: Since the platelet of montmorillionite has a volume, 5 times greater than equivolume cube (200/ μ) its volume will be equal to 1000/ μ.

7. Which of the following clay minerals are considered as colloidal?

A) Kaolinite
B) Dichite
C) Attapulgite
D) All of the mentioned

Answer is D)
Explanation: As entire clay particle has a greater dimension than 1μ, all of the clay minerals are considered as colloidal.

8. Clay minerals are classified in to ____________

A) 3
B) 4
C) 7
D) 6

Answer is B)
Explanation: Kaolinite, montmorillonite, illite, playgorskite are the types of clay minerals.

9. Chemically, the clay minerals are silicates of ____________

A) Aluminum
B) Iron
C) Magnesium
D) All of the mentioned

Answer is D)
Explanation: Since minerals contain alkaline and/or alkaline earth as essential component they contain alkaline mineral such as aluminium, iron, magnesium.

10. Clay is essentially made of extremely __________

A) Large particles
B) Small particles
C) Intermediate particles
D) None of the mentioned

... Answer is B)
Explanation: Clay is generally made of small particles of either a book of sheets like units (or) bundle of tubes or fibers.