Relative density is defined as the ratio of in-situ dry density to maximum dry density.

Relative density is defined as the ratio of in-situ dry density to maximum dry density.

• A. Ratio of in-situ dry density to maximum dry density
• B. Ratio of maximum dry density to in-situ dry density
• C. Percentage of fines in soil
• D. Moisture content relative to optimum

Answer: (A)

Relative density gauges how compacted a granular soil is compared with its densest state. By comparing the current in-situ dry density to the maximum dry density the soil can reach, you get a dimensionless value that shows how close the soil is to being fully dense. The option describing relative density as the ratio of in-situ dry density to maximum dry density directly expresses that idea, yielding a number between 0 and 1 that increases as the soil gets closer to its maximum density. The other options don’t reflect this density-based comparison: the inverse ratio wouldn’t normalize to the same 0–1 interpretation, percent fines relates to soil composition, and moisture content relative to optimum concerns water content rather than density state.

Relative density gauges how compacted a granular soil is compared with its densest state. By comparing the current in-situ dry density to the maximum dry density the soil can reach, you get a dimensionless value that shows how close the soil is to being fully dense. The option describing relative density as the ratio of in-situ dry density to maximum dry density directly expresses that idea, yielding a number between 0 and 1 that increases as the soil gets closer to its maximum density. The other options don’t reflect this density-based comparison: the inverse ratio wouldn’t normalize to the same 0–1 interpretation, percent fines relates to soil composition, and moisture content relative to optimum concerns water content rather than density state.