Is sand a solid and why?

Answer 1

Yes, because sand is just a bunch of particles mixed together.

A liquid, gas, or solid will appear to be so down to a molecular level. If you look at water through a microscope, it will look like water until you can distinguish individual molecules. Even then, we will know we are looking at a single water molecule, which has predictable properties regarding change of state. It is still a liquid under normal temps. Sand will look solid, no matter how close you look at it, down to a molecular level. A beach is just a bunch of solid particles piles together.

Sand can also be melted and turned into liquid, like making glass. This requires heat and pressure. In our normal atmosphere, quartz is in its solid form. Thus the REAL answer is that all matter in the universe can be wither solid, liquid, gas, or plasma.

Answer 2

Yes, sand is a solid because it has a fixed shape and volume, and its particles are tightly packed together. The individual grains of sand are held together by intermolecular forces, giving it a solid structure.