关于在水手博物馆博物馆和公园工作的最酷的事情之一是看科学是如何，好的，一件事，亚博平台网址从一开始就。The fact that we were doing soil pH measurement as early as the 1930’s is something that deserves a little more discussion.
A Little History
在创造公园的早期，我们的林斯特乔治梅森（如下所示）和顾问Ralph Hayes，教授北卡罗来纳州立大学，进行A.博士(acidity) soil survey博物馆花园委员会的方向的理由。梅森和海耶斯进行了测试，以确保3,920杜鹃花和罗丹德在湖泊湖上的成功。随着时间的推移，种植物消失了自然森林连续。然而，早期土壤测试在整个公园的种植至关重要。
The fact that they were testing soil acidity (pH) as early as 1932 is immensely cool. Using a pH scale for acid measurement was a relatively new science at the time, having only been codified 20 years previously:Soren Sorensen: pH and Beer。
园丁和农业主义者早期就是正确的。这些植物专家看到了如何做法adding lime(calcium carbonate not the fruit) changed the pH of the soil and favored some plants over others. Soil pH measurement allowed them to know, prior to planting, how different seeds would grow and live.
在这种静脉中，使用土壤pH测量来映射公园允许花园委员会确定在不同地点的植物会很好。他们可以识别在不同地点的土壤中识别所需的内容以种植特定植物。
Plants in the Park Today
下面的画廊突出了公园的一些植物，土壤pH范围（最理想）的植物：
Image credits: The Mariners’ Museum and Park
Measuring the pH of Your Soil at Home
Equipment
博士Neutral Water:distilled water purchased from the store is the easiest material to use for this experiment.
土壤：- 你想要测试什么 -Note: See Method – Collect your soil sample.
容器(minimum two):人们需要足够大以握住土壤样本和其他水。
pH指示或仪表：pH表示纸张is very common and can be purchased from many home improvement, hardware or gardening stores.
pH表示纸张relies on color-changes
Dyes infused into the paper change color in the presence of acids, bases or even neutral solutions. Use被测试为过多液体的液体的少量（或两滴）液体可以将染料从纸上溶解。此外，虽然pH指示纸可以非常敏感，但它确实取决于阅读纸张的人能够感知颜色变化。这意味着color blindnesscan make this a difficult or impossible method of measuring pH. Also different pH papers have different ranges and sensitivities that they can be used for. The one in the picture has a pH range of 1-14, and sensitivity of 1 pH unit. This means that it can be used to tell the difference between pH 6 and pH 7, but not between pH 6 and pH 6.5.
数字pH米can also be purchased from many home improvement, hardware and gardening stores.
There is a wide range of digital pH meters available
Some digital pH meters, like the one shown in the picture, are blue-tooth enabled and send the readout to a tablet. Others have the read-out built into the probe. The best bet with these is to look at the reviews and decide which works best for you. Like the pH indicating paper, these will have both a range and sensitivity that you need to pay attention to.
Method
收集土壤样本：Taking your soil sample is an important first step. You can take individual samples from your yard and test them individually, or you can take those same samples and combine them together, depending on your time and the answer you want to get.
从您感兴趣的花园或草坪的总范围内取样。从住宅院子里从前面，背部，右侧（右），侧面（左）的草坪区域采取样品。您还可以以同样的方式对景观床铺进行样本。您可以从每个区域采取多个样本，只要知道最终您将用完水，pH纸（或电池）和耐心等待。
将每个样品放入容器中，然后添加水：The amount you add depends on the dryness of the sampled soil.
推荐步骤：以等数量的水开始。按体积表示一汤匙水的一汤匙土壤。你想彻底弄湿土壤并有足够的水来吸取测量。如果你添加太多的水，那么你就会淡化结果。
等待。。。：不超过1小时，但你等待的时间越多，水就必须溶解来自土壤的酸（或碱）。
1 hour is an industry standard for pH extraction experiments. Carbon dioxide from the air (plus other potential pollutants) can dissolve in water given enough time and throw off measurements. Plus, things can start to grow things in the soil sample if given enough time. . .
测量酸度：按照指示纸或pH计的指示。
真的，我们知道，但读了方向。
重复：For insurance, duplicate the experiment at least one more time
For Statistical Significance, you want to do your measurement three times. However, that is only if you really delight in statistically significant data. . . Yes please!
Tips –
- 测量越多你让更多的公司mation that you have about your garden/lawn/soil of interest. . . However, there is a point where you stop getting more useful information and then you just have extra, unnecessary information.
It can be hard to predict where the transition is from too little to too much data. You will probably be fine with fewer measurements when:你在大面积上读过同样的ph和see little difference in what is currently growing in that location.
- 你想知道你的植物根源发生了什么，而不仅仅是英寸的顶级英寸。不同的植物将具有不同的种植深度。您将希望测量根源最集中的地区的土壤酸度。
当您种植时，在建议种植的深度测试土壤。
More on Science in the Park and Museum
If you want to learn more about the wild-life and plants in the park check out our other blogs on过着野生生活和白色的橡树与隐藏的过去。
If you want to learn more about current science being done in the Park and Lake, check out监测湖泊湖水的水质和发现大自然的辉煌与海里的教育团队。
Science is also done daily in the Batten Conservation Complex and throughout the Museum. Check out the blogs from:Paige Schmidt.,Jeanne Willoz-Egnor,Emilie Duncan,Hannah Flemming还有很多其他人！