Ok yesterdy in school we were learning about molecules in soids liquids and gases (8th grade) and my dad always told me glass(windows) is a liquid and she asked us to name some liquids and i told her glass and everyone looked at me wierd including the teacher and i felt like an idiot……my question is is glass really a liquid?
someone once asked me this and i dont know, so what colour is glass?
Glass is a liquid solution of sodium silicate in silicon dioxide. However, it has such a high vicosity it behaves as though it were solid. Silicon dioxide and sodium silicate are transparent, and so is glass. However, just as ink can color liquid water, there are metals which can dissolve in the glass solution which will change the color. The most common is cobalt, which makes a dark blue glass. Red glass can be made by dissolving gold in it. Even uranium can be used. Uranium colors glass a fluorescent yellow green color. This is known as “vaseline glass”. Glass can be made more transparent than it normally is by adding lead. This makes the sparkling “lead crystal” galss which is cut and polished like it were a gemstone. I think iron is responcible for dark brown “beer bottle” glass and it might be chromium which makes green glass. Iridium is used to make glass fibers so transparent they can conduct laser pulses for miles. This is what fiber optic cable is.
it depends what color sand it came from
Pure glass is colorless; much like optic fibers. Glass gets colored as we add other substances in it or if we fail to remove the impurities.
PS: did you know that glass is a liquid technically? It never stops flowing actually – whatever slow that process is!
Pure SiO2 is transparent in visible light. It is what you add to it that determines what color you add.
The web site below is an example of additives you put to glass that will change their colors.
IRON in the glass makes it appear greenish from the side
glass with less iron (not the sand) will appear with more of a crystal appearance
crystal uses lead instead for the true clarity
…..besides that glass is clear- and yes “CLEAR” is a color- just cause it isnt in a crayola box doesnt mean its not a color- and its my FAVORITE COLOR!!!
StoneHenge
on February 6th, 2012
I dont think it is x
Cat
on February 6th, 2012
No, it’s a solid.
JunkFoodAddict
on February 6th, 2012
yes…it flows over time…look at some old glass…
pricklycharacter
on February 6th, 2012
its a solid, but your dad may say its a liquid because over time windows are thicker at the bottom, and thinner at the top
Iceberg
on February 6th, 2012
When glass is formed it is a molten liquid version of sand. however once the glass cools it most certainly is a solid and not a liquid. if it was liquid it’d be spilling all over the floor and your window sill would be all sticky and sh*t.
Bluerose
on February 6th, 2012
Yes it is. I have a house that is over 120 years old and whenever I’ve replaced a broken window, it is always thicker at the bottom of the pane. Of the several originals that have been broken, they break in a big bullseye. You can see the ripples where, in the original manufacturing process, it left ripples in a circular pattern when the glass was poured onto a flat plate and allowed to cool. Always give your dad the benefit of the doubt. I came to learn that I never need doubt my dad, and I’m 51!
MazMaz
on February 6th, 2012
Glass really is a liquid, even at common temperatures.
but not many teachers would know that –until you get to high school chemistry or physics teachers.
It is VERY very slow.
to observe it, you need to look at something like a window that has been inplace at least 100 years – longer is better.
you will see that the glass is thicker at the bottom than at the top. I used to think it was just that old windows were uneven, and people always put the thick side on the bottom.
Sorry i can’t tell you a flow rate.
For many liquids/solids, there is an implied assumption of something like “at room temperature.”
for instance, aluminum is a liquid – over 600 or 700 degrees F. And trust me, most syrup is a solid at 0 degrees F.
sorry you felt like an idiot – but you know something they didn’t know.
====================
it is made more complex because glass exhibits SOME of the properties of a liquid, and it takes a long time.
WellBalanced
on February 6th, 2012
This is a most interesting question. Because The Glass does have a volatility index that becomes apparent over a period of time. It is a solid if you look quickly. But if you look long enough it is a liquid. I would guess that if an object was pushed against it for a long enough period of time it would eventually pass through and then in time the hole would close. I do not know if this has ever been tried. I do remember reading something along these lines.
I also do not know if the constraints of the rules indicate any minimum / maximum period for the fluid tests. Interesting thought.
I like you, would be interested in the answer to this question. The very slow liquid.
RingKeeper
on February 6th, 2012
it was liquid before it set as glass but that was because it was heated up from sand …you could say gold is liquid in your defense because it was at a certain time to form a gold bar….just say that is what you were meaning and if they laugh then say well? what is glass before it sets if not glass and what is gold before it sets if not gold? they did not stipulate if the liquid was hot or cold ……..listen..your dad told you that so that you could learn something later in life..he may not have realised it but what it tells you is do not believe anything until you have proof as in ask questions to others or the Internet browser ….what your dad told you has learned you a valuable lesson in life……..you are going to come across far bigger things in your life than looking cool to your friends at school…..you have only one chance in life and this is your chance……..HEY your dad was right…glass comes from liquid …..it’s your teacher and school mates that have something to learn not you lol
Connie
on February 6th, 2012
It really depends on what you mean by the terms “liquid” and “solid”.
People who say that glass is a liquid mean that it can’t be a solid, because:
- It doesn’t have a well-defined crystalline structure;
- It flows over time (a consequence of the above)
People who say that glass is a solid mean that it can’t be a liquid, because:
- It holds its shape, unlike unfrozen water;
- It can sustain a shear stress in a static configuration.
All of these facts are right. So whether you want to call it a solid or a liquid is a matter of emphasis: What aspects are important at the time of the question. In an 8th-grade science class, when they may still be trying to just establish the basic difference between phases of matter, it may be too much of a stretch to bring in issues of time-frame for flow and shear forces.
The point is that if you’re going to take up controversial positions, you have to know exactly what you mean and the facts behind it. If you just re-state other’s opinions without understanding the rationale (or your audience) you’re going to get left holding the bag.
Good luck!