Illustrate the physical and chemical properties of soil

The cation exchange property is very significant because it affects the physical and chemical properties of soil. The most important ions being the hydrogen, sodium and calcium. For example, exchange of hydrogen ions affects the soil pH. If there is predominance of exchangeable hydrogen, the soil is acidic as a result Al³⁺ ions become exchangeable and may be toxic to plants. On the other hand with a higher exchange of sodium ions, soil becomes alkaline. Calcium is capable of formulating stable aggregates of finer particles.