Sand-Sational
Facts!
Question:
Why are kids never hungry at the beach?
Sand-Sational Facts!
Question: Why are kids never hungry at the beach?
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Did you know that . . . ?
Sand is shell and rock that have been worn down by nature into
tiny grains (that love to stick to your toes)!The typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich eaten on the beach contains over 7,000 grains of sand!
This beach pail holds 3,500,000,000 grains of sand! Sand from islands or tropical sites have sand that is high in Calcium, since seashells are rich in Calcium and are broken down to form sand there."
"Inland lake, river, stream and pond sands are high in Silicon, since rocks are composed of various types of silicates which break down to form sand there."
Most of the "black" sands, which are volcanic in origin, are high in Iron and Aluminum, since these elements are found in volcanic produced materials (lava, etc.).
The sand on the coast of Namibia (in southwest Africa) is definitely worth sifting. It contains diamonds!
Certain beaches and sand dunes create mysterious sounds that scientists still don't completely understand. They sing, whistle, boom, bark, and even sound like a frog!
The rocks, pebbles, and sand on the beach are sorted by the waves. They vary in size from large pebbles down to very small ones, and finally to sand, which is almost pure quartz.
There's not a source on Bermuda for quartz, yet about ten percent of Bermuda's beach sand is quartz. Geologist Bruce Rueger has found the answer. It has been dropped out of the tail end of birds flying south. They carry grains in their crops (part of their throat) to help with digestion. (Bermuda lies smack in the middle of a major migratory route).
Aluminum comes from bauxite ore. It must be heated to very high temperatures to melt down this rock. Arizona is known for its large amounts of bauxite.
All of the following are made with or from sand! (If you know of some more examples, please contact us and we will add them to our list!)
cement & pavement emery boards windows pottery bricks ceramic tiles magnifying glass glassware & dishes sandpaper grinding wheels Lava soap patio blocks sculptures sheet rock roofing shingles sand castles pearls! ? ? ?
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