What is the ratio of volume of voids to total volume in a soil?

The ratio of the volume of voids to the total volume in a soil is defined as soil porosity. Porosity is a critical property of soil that expresses the amount of void space available within a given volume of soil, indicating how much space is not occupied by soil particles. It is typically expressed as a fraction or percentage, showcasing the relationship between the volume of voids (spaces between soil particles) and the total volume of soil (including both solids and voids).

This concept is important in various engineering applications, such as understanding water retention, the movement of fluids through soils, and the overall stability of soil structures. Soil density, moisture content, and permeability describe different characteristics of soil but do not directly relate to the specific relationship of void volume to total volume as porosity does.