The Physicsof Sandcastles | Science Mission Directorate
July 11, 2002: Give a plastic bucket and a shovel to a child, then turn her loose on a beach full of sand. She'll happily toil the day away building the sandcastle to end all sandcastles. It's pure fun. It's also serious physics. Sandcastles are built from grains--billions of tiny sharp-edged particles that rub and tumble together.