Soil Master™ Chemistry

How Do the Tests Work?

Test Tablet Composition Chemistry
pH Soil pH TesTab Mixed pH Indicators, Fillers, Tableting Aids, Flocculant Indicators are sensitive to pH and change to a specific color at a certain pH. A flocculant increases the speed at which soil will settle out of solution.
Extraction Floc-Ex TesTab All ingredients are proprietary When the tablet is dissolved in water, an acid, like weak vinegar is produced. The cloudiness is due to a filler which also aids flocculation. (Regular vinegar could not be used as an extracting solution because store brands contain phosphorus.)
Nitrogen Nitrate WR CTA Chromotropic Acid, Zinc, Sulfamic Acid, all other ingredients are proprietary Zinc reduces the nitrate to nitrite. The indicator, Chromotropic Acid, reacts proportionally to the amount of nitrite to form a red color.
Potassium Potassium TesTab Sodium Tetraphenylboron, all other ingredients are proprietary Sodium Tetraphenylboron reacts with potassium to form a white precipitate in proportion to the potassium concentration.
Phosphorus Phosphorus TesTab Ammonium Molybdate, Ascorbic Acid, all other ingredients are proprietary Ammonium molybdate reacts with phosphorus to form a phospho-molybdate complex. This complex is reduced to a blue complex by ascorbic acid. The color is proportional to the amount of phosphorus in the extract.

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