This affects the cycling of nutrients in the soil and plant growth. Physical functions of soil include serving as a filter to protect environmental quality, and as support for buildings. If there's a simple answer, it must mean there is much more to the story. The relative size of the mineral particles was discussed above. The relative proportions of each in a soil determine its texture.
Most people are familiar with the expressions loam, clay, silt loam and so forth.
These are the names of soil textures. Professional soil scientists perform exacting laboratory procedures to determine the exact proportions of the size classes in a soil. The results are projected on a textural triangle and the soil texture is determined. However, ribbon tests can give reasonably good guesses. The ribbon test is performed by working in the hand a very wet clump of soil slightly larger than a golf ball.