Soil Chemical Processes

Concepts and principles of soil chemical processes. SI units for essential in the course. The solid phase: Soil particle formation through weathering;. Types of clay, their structure and formation processes; Types and origins of negative charges on clay minerals;. Soil organic matter (SOM) types; Charges on soil OM and their implications on cation exchange capacities of tropical sesquioxide based soils. Soil solution phase: Characteristics; chemistry of water as a solvent; review of colligative properties of water in solutions; Ionic concentration versus activity; Activity coefficients; Ionic strength; Standard state of a substance; Types of reactions in soil and their equilibria constants