A soil scientist measures nitrogen content in 5 soil layers at a site: 1.2%, 1.8%, 1.5%, 2.1%, and 0.9%. If each layer is equally thick and she combines the nitrogen levels linearly to estimate average fertility, what is the mean nitrogen percentage across all layers?

Wed, 06 May 2026 20:35:18 +0000

Definition of Mean Nitrogen Content in Soil Layers: A Data-Driven Approach When assessing soil fertility, one of the most critical nutrients to measure is nitrogen, a key driver of plant growth and ecosystem productivity. In a recent study, a soil scientist analyzed nitrogen content across five distinct soil layers at a research site, recording the following nitrogen percentages: 1.2%, 1.8%, 1.5%, 2.1%, and 0.9%. Since each layer is assumed to have equal thickness, the scientist aggregated these values using a linear average to estimate overall soil fertility. Understanding how to calculate the mean nitrogen content provides valuable insight into soil health and sustainable land management. To determine the average nitrogen percentage, the scientist summed the nitrogen values from all five soil layers and divided by the total number of layers: Calculation:
Total nitrogen percent = 1.2 + 1.8 + 1.5 + 2.1 + 0.9
Total nitrogen percent = 7.5%