Soil with greater shear strength will exhibit more what between its particles?

The correct answer is cohesion. Cohesion refers to the attractive forces between particles of soil, which are primarily influenced by the nature of the particles and their moisture content. When soil exhibits greater shear strength, it indicates that the forces holding the soil particles together are stronger. This strength is largely due to the cohesive forces that exist between the particles, allowing them to resist shearing forces more effectively.

In cohesive soils, such as clays, the moisture content impacts the cohesion significantly. As water fills the voids between particles, it can either enhance or reduce the cohesive forces depending on whether the soil is saturated or unsaturated. Soils with higher cohesion and shear strength are typically more stable and able to support loads without deforming.

In contrast, options like elasticity refer to the ability of a material to return to its original shape after deformation, which is more relevant to the behavior of aggregates and some granular soils rather than the cohesive properties of soil. Pore pressure is related to the pressure of fluids in the soil voids and does not directly concern the attraction between particles. Density reflects the mass per unit volume of soil but does not inherently relate to the shear strength or interparticle forces as cohesion does. Therefore, the concept of cohesion is the most directly tied