What's the difference between dirt and sand?

Question

I know sand is a bunch of small rocks, but what the hell is the small stuff in dirt?

hey pal, you cared enough to answer. douchebag.

Answer 1

Sand is small rocks, it has few nutrients.
Dirt is a mix of soils; mostly ground up rocks and decayed matter with some nutrients in it.

Plants don't grow well in sand. In the desert if you have pure sand then you won't have any plants; like most of the Sahara. In the American desert you have a lot of dry dirt and that can support some hardy plants.

Potting soil is a special kind of dirt that has more nutrients in it, especially nitrogen.

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topsoil
"Topsoil is the uppermost layer of soil, usually the top 2 to 6 inches. It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms, and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs. Plants generally concentrate their roots in, and obtain most of their nutrients from this layer. The actual depth of the topsoil layer can be measured as the depth from the surface to the first densely packed soil layer known as hardpan.

As one of the layers of soil on the Earth's surface, topsoil is sometimes referred to as the A horizon. This layer is formed from the deposition of eroded material as well as decaying organic matter. A variety of soil mixtures are sold commercially as topsoil, usually for use in improving gardens and lawns, or for ideal growing conditions in container gardens, by using potting soil, for example.

A major environmental concern known as topsoil erosion, occurs when the topsoil layer is blown or washed away. Without topsoil, little plant life is possible. It takes approximately 500 years for one inch of topsoil to be deposited, but there are 25 billion tons of topsoil lost each year."

Sand is no more better than gravel.

According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand
"Sand is a granular material made up of fine mineral particles. It is a naturally occurring, finely divided rock.

Sand comprises particles, or granules, ranging in diameter from 0.0625 (or 1⁄16 mm) to 2 millimeters. An individual particle in this range size is termed a sand grain. The next smaller size class in geology is silt: particles smaller than 0.0625 mm down to 0.004 mm in diameter. The next larger size class above sand is gravel, with particles ranging from 2 mm up to 64 mm (see particle size for standards in use). "

Answer 2

Dirt can mean various things, and I'm going to guess you mean soil as found in a garden (rather than in a nappy). Calling sand ground up rock isn't too far away from the truth. Soil can contain some of that too along with clay, other stuff, and something called humus. That's recycled organic material or, should you prefer, something like ground up bits of plant. Try planting seeds in sand and they won't grow. Plant them in soil and they may well do. Much of the reason why has to do with the humus in soil, a kind of foodstuff for new plants. That's much of the reason, not the entire explanation.

Answer 3

Sand is granular - small bits of rock

Dirt is usually finer as some here have said: "dust"
but more dirt contains organic matter
plants
animal
thus contains other than just pure mineral which gives it a different adhering quality towards other larger objects

sand can be brushed off
dirt takes a bit more manipulation to remove from those larger objects like hands and clothes and dogs

PS.... stuff does too grow in sand

Answer 4

Dirt encompasses everything.while sand is one essential part of dirt. Actually earth means land or dirt in the Latin so it goes that dirt would be the measure that comprises the whole and sand and gravel etc comprises of earth or dirt.

Answer 5

Dirt is what ruins your brand new clothes and sand is what ends up in your crack after you've spent a day at the beach!

Answer 6

Dirt usually has a a lot of clay in it thats why it is always so dusty, and of corse small rocks, and sand is just small rocks.

Answer 7

Your kids can play in a sandbox but not a dirtbox.

You can buy something dirt cheap but not sand cheap.

There is such a thing as a sandbag and a dirtbag.

Answer 8

sand Is a finer loose dirt.. Dirt is a hard pact thick soil.

Answer 9

There are nomenclature that distinguishes based on particle size.

In order of size

fines
dust
sand
gravel

Dirt is a term that refers to all of it in a general way, the way Germ refers in general to virusus and bacteria.

Answer 10

Dan S gets my vote, even if I knew a shorter answer.