<P> Quicksand is a shear thinning non-Newtonian fluid: when undisturbed, it often appears to be solid ("gel" form), but a minor (less than 1%) change in the stress on the quicksand will cause a sudden decrease in its viscosity ("sol" form). After an initial disturbance--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 decrease suddenly . Someone stepping on it will start to sink . 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 0.01 m / s would require the same amount of force as "that needed to lift a medium - sized car ." </P> <P> A human or animal is unlikely to sink entirely into quicksand and drown at all; due to the higher density of the fluid (assuming the quicksand is on dry ground and not under water, but even if underwater, sinking is still improbable). Quicksand has a density of about 2 grams per milliliter, whereas the density of the human body is only about 1 gram per milliliter . At that level of density, sinking in quicksand is impossible . Descending about up to the waist is possible, but not any further . Even objects with a higher density than quicksand will float on it--until they move . Aluminum, for example, has a density of about 2.7 grams per milliliter, but a piece of aluminum will float on top of quicksand until motion causes the sand to liquefy . </P> <P> Continued or panicked movement, however, may cause a person to sink further in the quicksand . Since it increasingly impairs movement, it can lead to a situation where other factors such as weather exposure, dehydration, hypothermia, tides or carnivores may harm a trapped person . </P> <P> Quicksand may be escaped by slow movement of the legs in order to increase viscosity of the fluid, and rotation of the body so as to float in the supine position (horizontal, face - up, on - your - back). </P>

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