Question

What is the major component of soil?
A. Organic matter
B. Mineral matter
C. Air
D. Water

Answer 1

The soil is the earth's upper layer. Soil consists of many kinds of particles of minerals. Due to physical, chemical, and biological processes, the formation of the soil results from the degradations in the basement rock.

Complete answer:
Inorganic elements are collected by plants from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The outer, loose layer covering the surface of the Earth is soil. The nature of the soil, a major determinant of the distribution and growth of plants, along with the environment, depends not only on the chemical composition of the soil but also on the topography (regional surface characteristics) and the presence of living organisms.
The soil is made up of these main components:
Inorganic mineral content, about $40\text{ }to\text{ }45$ percent of the volume of soil.
Organic matter, about five percent of the volume of soil.
Water, about 25 percent of the volume of soil.
Air, about 25 percent of the volume of soil.
Microorganisms (dead and alive) and dead animals and plants in different stages of decay are the organic material of the soil, called humus. Humus strengthens the structure of the soil, supplying water and minerals for plants. The soil's inorganic content is composed of rock, which is eventually broken down into smaller particles of various sizes. Soil particles that have a diameter of $0.1\text{ }to\text{ }2\text{ }mm$ are sand. Soil particles with a diameter between $0.002\text{ }and\text{ }0.1\text{ }mm$ are called silt, and even smaller particles with a diameter below $0.002\text{ }mm$ are called clay. Some soils, which contain a mixture of sand, silt, and humus, have no dominant particle size; these soils are called loams.
The level of each of the four main soil components depends on the amount of vegetation present in the soil, soil compaction, and water. There is ample air, water, minerals, and organic material in strong, safe soil to promote and sustain plant life.

Hence, option B-Mineral matter is the right answer.

Note:
Humus soil supplies plants with a large variety of nutrients including metals and minerals. It comprises a variety of microorganisms that decompose the waste of a plant and assist the roots in absorbing the nutrients. These two key functions of humus soil make it easier for the plant to grow.