Quicksand

Today I learned about quicksand. Thanks to HowStuffWorks.com, I'll tell you about it.

Quicksand is rarely deeper than a few feet and can occur almost anywhere if the right conditions are present. Quicksand is basically regular sand that has been so saturated with water that the friction between sand particles is reduced. The resulting sand is a mushy mixture of sand and water that can no longer support any weight.

If you step in quicksand, any frantic movements cause you to dig yourself deeper into it. The human body has a density of 62.4 pounds per cubic foot and is able to float on water. Quicksand is denser than water (about 125 pounds per cubic foot), which means you can float more easily on quicksand than water. The key is not to panic, because if you fall in you're more likely to float especially the less you move. The best thing to do is try to slowly lay on your back and float on your back and "swim" to safety. The more surface area the better.

What did you learn today?