Undergrad Is sand a better conductor than clay? And why?

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    Clay Conductor
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Volumetric heat capacity in soil indeed increases with moisture, meaning more water requires more energy to raise the temperature of a given volume. Clay has a higher water content than sand, which contributes to its better conductivity for both electricity and heat. While sand is less permeable and has lower conductivity, it is primarily composed of silica, which can lead to lower electrical conductivity. Therefore, clay is generally a better conductor than sand due to its moisture retention and composition. Understanding these properties is crucial for soil heat flux analysis.
AppeltjeBosheuvel
I'm reading through my soil heat flux chapter and I have two questions: it seems that

1. Cs (volumetric heat capacity) in soil increases with increasing soil moisture. I assume volumetric heat capacity is the amount of J it takes to heat up a volume with 1 degree. Does that mean that the more water is in a soil, the more J it takes to heat up a volume? Is this correct?

2. It also has a graph of conductivity over soil moisture content, here clay is less of a conductor than sand. Why is this so? Cause clay is less permeable?

I would love some help :) Thank you
 
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When you say 'conductivity' are you referring to electrical conductivity or heat conductivity? Because if you are talking electrical, sand is basically impure glass and would have a very low electrical conductivity and not much better heat conductivity. Clay, by definition would have a much higher water content and would be a better conductor of electricity AND heat.
 
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