On Sun, 18 Mar 2012 09:53:53 -0700 (PDT), tutall >
wrote:

>On Mar 17, 5:40*pm, Zz Yzx > wrote:
>
>> grain size doesn't determine bulk density. *Size sorting does. *i.e.,
>> if you fill a room with basketballs, there's a certain portion of
>> voids between the balls. *Fill the same room with volley balls,
>> softballs, baseballs, golf balls, marbles, or BBs, the void ratio
>> stays the same, as long as the balls are of uniform size.
>
>Forgive me, it's been a few decades since I've done this sort of math,
>and only got through one year of calculus. But is this saying that a
>10ft cube full of basketballs with have the same volume (not ratio) of
>void space as the same space filled with BB's?
>
>Am pretty sure this is wrong?

This will make your brain hurt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphere_packing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_close_pack
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...716.x/abstract