Minecraft resource gathering/Sand

Introduction
Sand is a common material and is one of few materials that fall when there is no blocks underneath it. This unique property makes sand somewhat dangerous to collect, but also an invaluable material when constructing some features.

Locations
Sand can be found in deserts, but more commonly (in less amounts though) beaches and small patches around the world or in small rivers.

Uses
Sand is a key component in Sandstone. Sand can also be melted in a furnace to create glass. Sand can also be used to make TNT, which you can blow things up with.