Formation of soil is known as (IFFCO 2022)

✅Explanation:
Clay minerals are categorized based on their structure and the bonds holding the layers together. Hydrogen bonds play a significant role in the structure of kaolinite.

• Here's why hydrogen bonds are important in kaolinite:
-Layered Structure: Kaolinite has a 1:1 layered structure (one tetrahedral sheet linked to one octahedral sheet).
-Hydrogen bond: The layers in kaolinite are held together by hydrogen bonds. These bonds form between the hydroxyl groups (OH) of the octahedral sheet and the oxygen atoms of the tetrahedral sheet.

📌 Other Options Explanations:
-Montmorillonite: Primarily held together by van der Waals forces and electrostatic attraction.
-Vermiculite: Layers are linked by hydrated cations (like magnesium and calcium).
-Beidelite: Similar to montmorillonite, with layers bound by van der Waals forces and electrostatic attraction.

🔑Key Points:

• Kaolinite:
-The kaolinite structural unit is made up of gibbsite sheets (with aluminum atoms at their centers) joined to silica sheets through the unbalanced oxygen atoms at the apexes of the silicas.
-These basic units are then stacked one on top of the other to form a lattice of the mineral
-The successive 7 angstrom units are held together by hydrogen bonds.
-The strong bonding does not permit water to enter the lattice
-Thus, kaolinite minerals are stable and do not expand under saturation
-The total thickness of the structural unit of a Kaolinite mineral is 7 A°, where 1 A° = 10-10 meters.