Which device is used for boring holes into the ground to collect soil samples for testing?

• A. Soil Auger
• B. Hand Lens
• C. Micropipette
• D. Spectrophotometer

Answer: (A)

Understanding soil sampling starts with using a tool designed to reach into the ground and retrieve a soil sample from specific depths. The soil auger is built to bore into the ground, creating a hole and bringing up a core or cylinder of soil that you can test for moisture, texture, pH, nutrients, and other properties across different depths. This makes it the best fit for collecting representative soil samples for testing. A hand lens merely magnifies soil particles for closer inspection, not for penetrating the ground. A micropipette is used to transfer tiny amounts of liquid in lab work, not for digging. A spectrophotometer measures how much light a solution absorbs to analyze chemicals, not for collecting soil samples.