is it true if you struggle in quicksand you sink faster?

Question

and if so why?

Answer 1

You will have to struggle to sink at all in most instances. Your body is so much less dense than quicksand that you will float in it. Quicksand is about twice as dense as the human body. Here is a study done by scientists that basically proves that. Quicksand is about twice as dense as the human body.
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9516779/

Here is my answer to a similar question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/;_ylt=Am6DCMiCB4lOl_TjeT4m0KMjzKIX?qid=20060613061512AAx4tkP

Answer 2

In all the old Westerns they always do. The reason why, is because it makes for a more dramatic effect. God loves old Westerns, and he created quick sand specifically to help that genre out.

I predict that when Westerns come back in style, the new improved quicksand is gonna be better than ever-- over the top. I think we're ready for a quicksand comeback. Vegas should have a casino with quicksand. There should be a Six Flags Over Quicksand amusement park.

You know, that's what happened to all the WMD's in Iraq. That's right, QUICKSAND. The real JFK assassin(s) also ended up in quicksand. It's also been rumored that Elvis kept some quicksand at Graceland. If you'd like to visit some of the better quicksand locations, I'm sure Louis Lamour includes a few in some of maps in his books.

Just remember this. They didn't name it "quick"sand for nuthin.

Answer 3

It's NOT TRUE! There is a program called MYTHBUSTERS. they actually create the situation and see if things are true. Like, will wrist bands help with sea sickness? Can water stop a bullet? Will a box of tissue in the back of a car hurt you if it hits you in the back of the head in a car crash?

On one epidode they MADE quicksand. One of the guys got into it and moved around as if struggling. He sank a little, but not much. You actually FLOAT better in it than in water because the quicksand is much heavier than we are.

Struggling and sinking in quicksand is a myth created for the movies.

Answer 4

Yes, it is true. Most patches of quicksand are only a few inches to several feet deep. And quicksand does not pull its victim down to lethal depths. However, it is possible to drown in quicksand, but you really have to WORK at it.
The worst thing to do is to thrash around in the sand and move your arms and legs through the mixture. You will force yourself farther down into the liquid sandpit. When you try to pull your leg out of quicksand, you work against a vacuum left behind by the movement.
You should move as slowly as possible in order to reduce viscosity. Also, try spreading your arms and legs far apart and leaning over to increase your surface area, which should allow you to float.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/quicksand2.htm

When I was 13, I did read in a book of facts that quicksand is usually only 4 feet deep, and so unless you are a child, it's unlikely that any adult would drown.

Answer 5

YES!

Quicksand is a hydrocolloid gel consisting of fine granular matter (such as sand or silt), clay, and salt water. When unperturbed, it often appears to be solid; however, even a minor (less than 1%) change in the stress on the quicksand will cause a sudden decrease in its viscosity. After the initial perturbation - such as a person attempting to walk on it - the water and sand in the quicksand separate and dense regions of sand sediment form; it is because of the formation of these high volume fraction regions that the viscosity of the quicksand seems to suddenly increase. In order to move within the quicksand, a person or object must apply sufficient pressure on the compacted sand to re-introduce enough water to liquefy it. The forces required to do this are quite large: to remove a foot from quicksand at a speed of one centimeter per second would require the same amount of force as "that needed to lift a medium-sized car." [1]

It was commonly believed that the behavior of quicksand was due solely to saturated or supersaturated suspensions of granules in water. Pressure from underground sources of water would separate and suspend the granular particles, reducing the friction between them. As of September, 2005 it has been shown that it is the presence of salt that is largely responsible.[1] The stability of the colloidal quicksand is compromised by the presence of salt; increasing the likelihood of sand flocculation and the formation of the high viscocity regions of sediment responsible for quicksand's "trapping" power.

Quicksand is not as dangerous as depicted in many movies. As quicksand is rarely more than a few feet deep, there is usually little danger of sinking below the surface. Furthermore, even when the quicksand is deep enough, deliberate effort is required to sink below the surface. Quicksand is typically denser than the human body, meaning that a body is much more buoyant in quicksand than in water. Thus, the body will float quite easily in quicksand.

This was demonstrated in an episode of the TV series MythBusters and in an article in Nature. [1] The sand's higher density will gradually push a human body upward, eventually allowing one to paddle toward more solid footing. Typically, the greatest danger of getting stuck in quicksand comes from exposure, starvation, flash flooding, or tidal flooding.

Quicksand can be found inland (on riverbanks, near lakes, or in marshes) or near the coast. It can also form when an earthquake increases groundwater pressure, forcing the water to the surface and causing soil liquefaction.

One region notorious for its quicksands is Morecambe Bay, England. As the bay is very broad and shallow, a person trapped by the quicksand would be exposed to the danger of the returning tide, which can come in quite rapidly.

Answer 6

Yes, It is true. That is what I have seen in movies and makes a lot of sense to me. If you strugle then you end up pushing the supporting sands away hence you sink faster.

Answer 7

Quicksand is a "nice" Hollywood trick!

Answer 8

yes. I dont know why. But if u ever get caught in quicksand, lie as flat as u can, and raise one leg.

Answer 9

Yes

Answer 10

yea, cuz there is a steady stream of water flowing beneath that gooey sand which will only pull you deep ,thanks to the strong current of the water ,if you struggle too much.From outside it looks all innocent and harmless,but there is a tussle going on underneath it!However this does not mean that you simply stay in there,grab hold of a overhead object and hoist yrself with minimum struggle, if you cant dont panic,just SCREAM FOR HELP!!