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Quicksand (also known as sinking sand) is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that loses strength and cannot support weight.
Dec 4, 2019 · Key Takeaways: Quicksand. Quicksand is a non-Newtonian fluid made of sand mixed with water or air. It changes its viscosity in response to stress or vibration, allowing you to sink, but making it hard to escape. You can only sink into quicksand up to your waist.
- Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Sep 28, 2005 · Quicksand Science: Why It Traps, How to Escape. If stumbling into quicksand ranks on your list of worries, don't panic. A new study suggests that quicksand is not as deadly as it may seem. If...
Is quicksand actually as dangerous as advertised? Nope. Quicksand—that is, sand that behaves as a liquid because it is saturated with water—can be a mucky nuisance, but it’s basically impossible to die in the way that is depicted in movies. That’s because quicksand is denser than the human body.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sep 7, 2023 · What Is Quicksand? Quicksand forms when upward-flowing water reduces the friction between sand particles, causing the sand to become "quick." Quicksand is solid ground that has been liquefied by a saturation of water. The "quick" refers to how easily the sand shifts when in this semiliquid state.
- Kevin Bonsor
- DictionaryQuick·sand/ˈkwikˌsand/
noun
- 1. loose wet sand that yields easily to pressure and sucks in anything resting on or falling into it: "it's best to travel with a local as there are quicksands"
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May 23, 2016 · Quicksand is a mixture of sand or silt and water, creating a treacherous concoction that can trap the unwary traveler. Quicksand can appear virtually anywhere in the world if an area of loose...
Sep 8, 2021 · Image credit: Shutterstock. Reading Time: 3 Minutes • Print this page. Quicksand is not the fearsome geological feature movies have made it out to be. It is, however, an unusual substance. If you grew up in the 1980s or ’90s, you might fear quicksand. Evil characters in movies drowned in quicksand.
