Gravimetric determination of soil carbon using the LECO induction furnace

A gravimetric method of determining soil carbon using a LECO high‐frequency induction furnace is described. The results obtained using this method were compared with those obtained using two other gravimetric procedures: a wetoxidation method and a dry‐combustion (680 °C) method which was taken as the standard. The results showed that the induction furnace method is satisfactory for the determination of soil carbon within the range covered by the 22 soils studied. The method is relatively simple and an operator can perform about 12 determinations/hour.