How is soil formed?

Explanation

Factors that help in the formation of soil and the process of formation are:
(i) The Sun : Sun heats up rocks during the day so that they expand, at night these rocks cool down and contract, this causes cracks in the rocks.
(ii) Water : Water during rainfall enters these cracks, if this water feezes, it exerts pressure on the cracks and the rocks break. When water flows, it wears the hard rock and carries small particles of rock down stream.
(iii) Wind : Strong winds erode rocks down, which rub with each other and small particles are carried away by wind.
(iv) Living organisms : Lichens grow on the surface of the rock, they release certain substances that cause the rock surface to powder down and form a thin layer of soil.