We are certain that everyone reading this knows some facts about glass. Not that you may be a glass expert, but, more because you will come across glass almost every hour of every day. As for some of the common facts about glass, you are likely to know they include glass being clear, glass having a smooth surface, glass being delicate and at risk of smashing if it is hit by a hard object, and also that glass can cut your skin if you catch a sharp edge of it.
Of course, there are some exceptions to these such as coloured glass and mirrored or patterned glass but, in the main, all of these will apply to the vast majority of glass that you see and encounter each day such as windows, bottles, a glass balustrade and table tops.
However, what if we were to tell you that there are some facts about glass that you are unlikely to know? We hope you would want to know about them, and it just so happens that, if you keep on reading, you will discover seven amazing facts about glass that most people are not aware of.
Amazing Fact #1 – Glass Is Made From Sand
It may surprise you to learn that, whilst there are some chemicals involved in the process of making glass, the main component is sand. Other ingredients can include soda ash and lime. Note that the sand has to be silica sand, so your local beach is unlikely to be a source.
Amazing Fact #2 – Lightning Can Create Glass
Glass-making processes involve melting sand using temperatures of over 1700°C and this means that lightning strikes on sand can create glass albeit in its most raw form. This fact proves that glass was created on Earth long before humans were.
Amazing Fact #3 – When Glass Shatters, Cracks Move At 3,000 MPH
When something solid and hard hits a pane of glass it will usually crack in multiple places and most likely will shatter. The cracks that appear on the glass can move at an astounding 3,000 MPH which is 15 times faster than a Formula 1 car and 5 times faster than a commercial aircraft.
Amazing Fact #4 – Glass Is Coloured By Adding Minerals And Sulphides
Whilst the majority of glass that you see day to day is clear, there are also many instances of coloured glass such as ornaments, bottles, and vases. The colours are achieved by adding specific compounds such as nickel oxide which creates violet, carbon oxides which creates brown glass, and cobalt copper oxides for blue.
Amazing Fact #5 – Glass is 100% Recyclable For Eternity
In modern times, where there is a huge focus on the environment and being green including the need to recycle, you will be pleased to know that there is unlikely to be anything that is more recyclable than glass. Further, glass can be recycled an infinite number of times which brings a whole new meaning to the nursery rhyme, “10 Green Bottles”.
Amazing Fact #6 – Glass Is Not Classed As A Solid
Anyone who has accidentally walked into a glass panel or cut themselves on glass will almost certainly question this fact, but it is true. It is classed as an “amorphous solid” which means some molecules within glass are constantly moving, whereas in a true solid they will not.
Amazing Fact #7 – There Are At least 30 Different Types Of Glass
To prove that fact, here are at least 30 examples of glass and glass-based products
Aluminosilicate Glass, Annealed Glass, Architectural Glass, Blown Glass, Borosilicate Glass, Coloured Glass, Composite Glass, Container Glass, Crown Glass, Double Glazed Glass, Float Glass, Forest Glass, Fused Quartz, Geranium-Oxide Glass, Glass Ceramics, Glass Fibre, Glass Flakes, Glass Wool, Heat Resistant Glass, Laminated Glass, Lead Glass, Network Glass, Plate Glass, Recycled Glass, Safety Glass, Security Glass, Silicate Glass, Self-Cleaning Glass, Soda-Lime Glass, Tempered Glass, Uranium Glass, and Window Glass.
