Submitted by UnderBridg t3_11jhdf4 in askscience
xxDankerstein t1_jb5fer2 wrote
The simple is answer is: sand big, clay small. Clay particles are tiny, so they hold more water between them (more surface area per volume). Sand is basically tiny rocks, which themselves don't shrink at all. The shrinkage happens when the water between the particles evaporates. The sand is holding less water, thus less shrinkage.
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