be slow, it is still extremely important in supplying water to plant roots and in engineering applications. The matrix potential is always negative because the water attracted by the soil matrix has an energy state lower than that of pure water. Matrix potential only occurs in unsaturated soil above the water table. If the matrix potential approaches a value of zero, nearly all soil pores are completely filled with water, i.e. fully saturated and at maximum retentive capacity. The matrix potential can vary considerably among soils. In the case that water drains into less-moist soil zones of similar porosity, the matrix potential is generally in the range of −10 to −30 kPa. Empirical examples Soil-plant-air continuum At a potential of 0 kPa, soil is in a state of saturation. At saturation, all soil pores are filled with water, and water typically drains from large pores by gravity. At a potential of −33 kPa, or −1/3 bar, (−10 kPa for sand), soil is at field capacity. Typically, at field capacity, air is in the macropores and water in micropores. Field capacity is viewed as the optimal condition for plant growth and microbial activity. At a potential of −1500 kPa, soil is at its permanent wilting point, at which plant roots cannot extract the water through osmotic diffusion. Soil water way still evaporate at more negative potentials down to a hygroscopic level, at which soil water is held by solid particles in a thin film by molecular adhesion forces. In contrast, atmospheric water potentials are much more negative—a typical value for dry air is −100 MPa, though this value depends on the temperature and the humidity. Root water potential must be more negative than the soil, and the stem water potential must be an intermediate lower value than the roots but higher than the leaf water potential, to create a passive flow of water from the soil to the roots, up the stem, to the leaves and then into the atmosphere. Measurement techniques A tensiometer, electrical resistance gypsum block, neutron probes, or time-domain reflectometry (TDR) can be used to determine soil water potential energy. Tensiometers are limited to 0 to −85 kPa, electrical resistance blocks are limited to −90 to −1500 kPa, neutron probes are limited to 0 to −1500 kPa, and a TDR is limited to 0 to −10,000 kPa. A scale can be used to estimate water weight (percentage composition)