In a soil's grain size distribution curve, what does a very steep segment indicate about the uniformity of its particles?
A soil's grain size distribution curve is a graphical representation that plots particle diameter against the cumulative percentage of soil particles finer than that diameter. A very steep segment on this curve indicates that a large percentage of the soil particles fall within a very narrow range of sizes. This signifies a high degree of particle uniformity. Particle uniformity, also known as sorting, describes how similar the sizes of the individual grains are in a soil sample. Therefore, a very steep segment precisely indicates that the soil is highly uniform, meaning most of its particles are approximately the same size and are concentrated within a very small size range.