Minecraft:Sand

Template:Infobox block Sand is a gravity-affected Minecraft:block found abundantly in Minecraft:deserts and Minecraft:beaches, and less commonly in or near surface water.

Obtaining

Breaking

The suitable tool to break sand is a Minecraft:shovel. Template:Breaking row Sand drops itself when it's destroyed.

Natural generation

Sand generates naturally in many Minecraft:biomes of the Minecraft:Overworld, in Minecraft:disk-like formations replacing Minecraft:dirt in shallow water, usually Minecraft:rivers, lakes, and Minecraft:oceans in most grassy biomes except Minecraft:swamps.

It generates in abundance in Minecraft:deserts and Minecraft:beaches, generally in four-block-deep layers, supported by Minecraft:sandstone below. Sand also generates as the Minecraft:ocean floor of lukewarm oceans and warm oceans, in a single layer not supported by sandstone.

Sand also generates as part of warm Minecraft:ocean ruins and some cold Minecraft:ocean ruins, some Minecraft:desert Minecraft:village houses, Minecraft:desert wells, Minecraft:desert pyramids, and has a chance to generate in Minecraft:trial chamber entrances.

Sand can spawn floating in the Minecraft:air. The floating cluster of sand falls when one of the sand blocks receives an update (e.g. when a block is placed near it or when a block near it is broken). While floating, it emits the Template:CdTemplate:Only or the Template:CdTemplate:Only Minecraft:particle.

Mob loot

An Minecraft:enderman holding a sand block drops the block upon death.

Template:IN, Minecraft:wandering traders have a chance of 8.5% (increased by 1% per level of Minecraft:Looting) to drop 8 sand when killed while showing the item as trade offer, if the player holds an Minecraft:emerald.

Trading

Minecraft:Wandering traders may sell 8 sand for 1 Minecraft:emerald. This is the only renewable method of obtaining sand. Because new wandering traders require at least 20 minutes to spawn and have a limited number of trades per spawn, it is more practical to obtain sand by other means. Template:Trade sources

Post-generation

Minecraft:Suspicious sand becomes regular sand when Minecraft:brushed.

Usage

If the supporting block below a block of sand is removed, it falls until it lands on the next available block. More specifically, the sand block turns into a "Minecraft:falling block" Minecraft:entity, which is affected by gravity; when the falling block lands on a block with a solid top surface, it becomes a block again. More information about the falling block entity is available in the main article listed above.

If falling sand lands and covers the head of a Minecraft:mob or the Minecraft:player, the mob or player buried in it continuously receives Minecraft:suffocation damage. If falling sand lands in the space occupied by a non-solid block (such as Minecraft:torch, Minecraft:rail, or Minecraft:redstone dust) or a block less than a full block tall (such as Minecraft:slab or Minecraft:soul sand<ref>Template:Bug</ref>), the sand drops and turns into an item. If it falls onto a Minecraft:cobweb, it falls slowly until it has gone through completely; if it touches the ground while still inside the cobweb, the sand becomes an item. Sand that falls onto a lifting bubble column floats on top of the water until the bubble column is blocked or removed.

Though Minecraft:TNT does not break any blocks if it explodes underwater, if sand, Minecraft:concrete powder (in one-block-deep water only), or Minecraft:gravel falls and covers the TNT before it explodes, blocks are broken as normal.

Farms

Sand is required for farming Minecraft:cactus and can also be used for farming Minecraft:bamboo, Minecraft:sugar cane, and Minecraft:kelp.

Turtle eggs

A Minecraft:turtle egg can hatch only if it is placed on sand, red sand, or suspicious sand.

Ambience

Sand rarely emits ambient noises if there is sand or Minecraft:red sand 8 blocks away in at least 3 of the 4 horizontal directions. In order to emit sounds, the block directly above sand must be Minecraft:air.

Sounds

Data values

ID

Template:Edition: Template:ID table

Template:Edition: Template:ID table

Falling block entity

{{#lst:Falling Block|infobox}} Template:Main {{#lst:Falling Block|entity data}}

History

Trivia

• If a block of sand has Minecraft:snow on it and is made to fall, the snow is destroyedTemplate:Only and does not drop Minecraft:snowballs.
• Because falling sand is considered an Minecraft:entity, it can be launched in a TNT cannon, similar to an ignited piece of Minecraft:TNT.
• Sand falls at the same rate when submerged in Minecraft:water, or Minecraft:lava, or Minecraft:air.
• If a Minecraft:player is standing on a stack of sand or Minecraft:gravel, and the stack falls onto a non-solid block, the player can fall fast enough to take Minecraft:damage or even die.
• Sand falls through Minecraft:torches without breaking, if there is Minecraft:air below the torch.<ref>Template:Bug</ref>
• Sand and Minecraft:gravel take about 0.45 seconds to fall one meter.
• The sand texture is rotated if a block of sand turns into a falling_block entity, similar to ignited Minecraft:TNT blocks. This is not the case with Minecraft:gravel.
• Because falling_block is considered an Minecraft:entity, blocks of sand without supports may disappear for a split second and a falling_block entity is summoned. This is also the case when it is landing, but the entity (not the Minecraft:block) disappears instead before a block is placed.

Gallery

Screenshots

• Naturally generated sand in a desert
  Naturally generated sand in a desert
• Naturally generated sand in a beach
  Naturally generated sand in a beach
• Sand as generated as a Minecraft:warm ocean floor
  Sand as generated as a Minecraft:warm ocean floor
• Naturally generated sand in a snowy beach
  Naturally generated sand in a snowy beach
• Naturally generated sand in a lukewarm ocean
  Naturally generated sand in a lukewarm ocean
• Naturally generated sand in a warm ocean
  Naturally generated sand in a warm ocean
• Floating sand in desert biome before updating it...
  Floating sand in desert biome before updating it...
• ... and after updating it
  ... and after updating it
• A single floating sand block
  A single floating sand block
• Another example of floating sand, this time above small water lake
  Another example of floating sand, this time above small water lake
• A lot of sand floating above a cave entrance
  A lot of sand floating above a cave entrance
• A large amount of floating sand in desert, the torches were placed by a player
  A large amount of floating sand in desert, the torches were placed by a player
• A large amount of sand floating above a cave and being broken
  A large amount of sand floating above a cave and being broken
• A large quantity of sand floating over a ravine
  A large quantity of sand floating over a ravine
• 2 blocks of sand floating with nothing below them
  2 blocks of sand floating with nothing below them
• Sand floating above a desert cave entrance
  Sand floating above a desert cave entrance
• Sand in a buffet-type beach
  Sand in a buffet-type beach
• Sand in a buffet-type snowy beach
  Sand in a buffet-type snowy beach

Mojang images

• A block of sand
  A block of sand
• Minecraft:Steve in despair with a block of sand
  Minecraft:Steve in despair with a block of sand

See also

• Explained physics of Minecraft:falling blocks.
• Minecraft:Desert
• Minecraft:Sandstone

External links

• Block of the Week: Sand – Minecraft.net on March 11, 2017