Explain soil as three phase system with labelled sketch.
Soil as three phase system: 1. As natural soil contains solid soil particles and water and air present in its voids such complex nature of soil sample is difficult to analyze its physical properties Hence it is simplified and presented in its equivalent 3 phase diagram as shown in figure below. 2. Depending upon three phase diagram of soil its is classified in three categories- 1. Dry soil 2. Partially saturated soil 3. Fully saturated soil. 3. However if we take a dry soil mass, the voids are filled with air only. In case of perfectly saturated soil the voids are filled completely with water. In case of partially saturated soil, both air and water are present in the voids.