ATTERBERG LIMITS ACTIVITY

Instructions: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

Test I. Refer to Casagrande Method to answer the questions below.
1. What does the liquid limit of soil depend on?
a) The water content b) The clay mineral present c) The plastic limit d) The shrinkage limit
2. What are the different states of soil?
a) Liquid, plastic, semi-solid b) Plastic, semi-solid, solid c) Liquid, solid, semi-solid d) Liquid,
plastic, solid
3. What are the consistency limits in soil mechanics?
a) Liquid limit, plastic limit, shrinkage limit b) Liquid limit, semi-solid limit, solid limit c) Plastic
limit, semi-solid limit, solid limit d) Liquid limit, plastic limit, solid limit
4. What is the Casagrande method used for?
a) Determining liquid limit in soil b) Determining plastic limit in soil c) Determining shrinkage
limit in soil d) Determining water content in
5. What is the apparatus used in the Casagrande method called?
a) Brass cup b) Grooving tool c) Rubber base d) Casagrande apparatus
6. How is the liquid limit determined using the Casagrande method?
a) By counting the number of blows needed for a groove to close b) By measuring the water
content using a ruler c) By determining the contact distance of two soil halves d) By smoothening
and leveling the soil surface
7. Why is it recommended to use a fine-grained soil for determining the liquid limit?
a) Fine-grained soils have higher liquid limit b) Fine-grained soils have lower liquid limit
c) Fine-grained soils are easier to work with d) Fine-grained soils have higher plastic limit
8. How many times should the experiment be repeated in the Casagrande method?
a) One b) Two c) Three d) Four
9. What is the water content corresponding to 25 blows in the Casagrande method?
a) Liquid limit b) Plastic limit c) Shrinkage limit d) Semi-solid limit
10. Which tool is recommended for normal fine-grained soils in the Casagrande method?
a) Casagrande tool b) ASTM tool c) Grooving tool d) Brass cup
11. What is the water content at which the groove closes to 12 mm in the Casagrande method?
a) Liquid limit b) Plastic limit c) Shrinkage limit d) Semi-solid limit
12. What is the handle of the Casagrande apparatus turned at during the experiment?
a) 1 revolution per second b) 2 revolutions per second c) 3 revolutions per second d) 4 revolutions
per second
13. How is the groove cut in the soil sample in the Casagrande method?
a) Using a grooving tool b) Using a finger c) Using a ruler d) Using a brass cup
14. What curve is drawn through the experimental values of number of blows in the Casagrande
method?
a) Flow curve b) Shear strength curve c) Moisture content curve d) Consistency limit curve
Test II. Refer to Cone Penetration Method to answer the questions below.
15. What is the liquid limit of soil?
a) The point at which soil becomes solid b) The water content at which soil changes from a liquid
state to a plastic state c) The shearing strength of soil d) The largest value that can be measured in
a laboratory at the liquid limit
16. What does the liquid limit of soil depend on?
a) The size of the soil particles b) The presence of sand in the soil c) The clay minerals in the soil
d) The amount of organic matter in the soil
17. How is the liquid limit of soil determined using the cone penetration method?
a) By measuring the weight of the soil sample b) By measuring the temperature of the soil sample
c) By measuring the penetration of a cone into the wet soil mass d) By measuring the color of the
soil sample
18. What is the purpose of performing multiple tests with different water contents in the cone
penetration method?
a) To determine the shearing strength of the soil b) To determine the plastic limit of the soil c) To
determine the exact liquid limit of the soil d) To determine the grain size distribution of the soil
19. What is the significance of the cone penetrometer in the liquid limit test?
a) It measures the weight of the soil sample b) It measures the temperature of the soil sample c) It
measures the penetration of a cone into the wet soil mass d) It measures the clay content of the
soil
20. What is the role of the water content in determining the liquid limit using the cone penetration
method?
a) It affects the weight of the soil sample b) It affects the temperature of the soil sample c) It
affects the penetration of the cone into the soil d) It affects the color of the soil sample
21. How is the liquid limit of soil determined in the cone penetration method?
a) By measuring the weight of the soil sample after it reaches a plastic state b) By measuring the
temperature of the soil sample after it reaches a plastic state c) By measuring the depth to which
the cone penetrates the soil in a specific time period d) By measuring the color change of the soil
sample after it reaches a plastic state
22. Why is the cone penetration method used to determine the liquid limit of soil?
a) It is faster and more accurate than other methods b) It is cheaper and easier to perform than
other methods c) It provides a direct measurement of the soil's shearing strength d) It does not
require any specialized equipment or instruments
23. What is the shearing strength of the soil at the liquid limit?
a) The largest value that can be measured in a laboratory b) The smallest value that can be
measured in a laboratory c) The average value obtained from multiple laboratory tests d) The
value that depends on the type of clay mineral present in the soil
24. What is the surface area of clay minerals related to?
a) The shearing strength of the soil b) The plasticity index of the soil c) The water content at the
liquid limit d) The penetration of the cone into the soil
25. What is the correlation between the penetration of the cone and the liquid limit of the soil in the
cone penetration method?
a) The greater the penetration of the cone, the higher the liquid limit of the soil b) The smaller the
penetration of the cone, the higher the liquid limit of the soil c) There is no correlation between
the penetration of the cone and the liquid limit of the soil d) The penetration of the cone does not
influence the liquid limit of the soil
26. What type of soil is the cone penetration method most suitable for?
a) Coarse-grained soils b) Fine-grained soils c) Organic soils d) Sandy soils
27. What is the purpose of the reference books mentioned in the document?
a) To provide additional information on soil mechanics b) To explain the cone penetration method
in detail c) To provide guidelines on performing laboratory tests on soil d) To present case studies
on liquid limit determination
28. Which method is suggested as an alternative to the cone penetration method for determining the
liquid limit of soil?
a) The Casagrande method b) The compaction method c) The shrinkage limit method d) The
shear strength method
29. What are the three consistency limits of soil mentioned in the document?
a) Liquid limit, plastic limit, and shrinkage limit b) Liquid limit, plastic limit, and shear strength
limit c) Liquid limit, compaction limit, and shrinkage limit d) Liquid limit, compaction limit, and
shear strength limit
Test III. Problem-solving.
Instructions: Answer each of the problems below. Show your solutions inside the box.
1. In the laboratory, a sample's liquid limit was found to be 41%, and its plastic limit was measured
at 21.1%. Given that the sample's natural water content is 30%, calculate the following:
(1) Plasticity index
(2) Liquidity index
(3) What are the characteristics of soil based on the plasticity index and liquidity index?

2. These results pertain to the liquid and plastic limit tests conducted on a soil sample.

Number of Blows (N) Water Content (%)

15 42
20 40.8
28 39.1
The plastic limit of the soil is 18.7%.

Determine the following:

1. The liquid limit of the soil. Show the flow curve below.

2. The plasticity index of the soil.

3. The liquidity index if the water content is 24%.
4. The consistency index of the soil.
3. A soil sample with solids of specific gravity 2.7 undergone a shrinkage limit test, and the
following are its results:
Initial volume of soil in a saturated state = 26.6 cm3
Final volume of soil in a dry state = 15.9 cm3
Initial mass of soil in a saturated state = 44 g
Initial mass of soil in a dry state = 30.1 g
What is the shrinkage limit of the soil?

4. A cone penetration test is done to a soil sample, and the following readings are gathered and
tabulated below:

Moisture content (%) Cone Penetration (mm)

42.5 16.0
47.5 17.5
58.1 22.8
60.0 26.0

1. Determine the liquid limit of the soil. Show the flow curve below.
2. Determine the plasticity index of the soil.
3. If the natural water content of the soil is 38%, determine the liquidity index of the soil.