question_answer 9)

What is the difference between rate of percolation and the amount of water retained?  

Answer:

Percolation property of any material is linked to its porosity. Different soils have different porosity. Therefore, water percolates differently through different soil. Percolation rate of water in the soil = Volume of water percolated / Time taken for percolation Whereas, water retaining capacity of a soil is described in terms of the amount of water absorbed by a particular type of soil. High water retaining capacity means higher water absorption.