It sais in my history book that when oil wells burnt in Kuwait in 1991, it was so hot that sand became glass?

Question

Is that possible? Why would that happen humanly and scientificly? I would like to see pictures of naturally made glass from sand. Can anyone give me any information and/or pictures, please!?

Thanks ya'll...I'm a curious person so questions like these are asked by people like myself.

Answer 1

Since sand is a crystalline (granulated) form of silicon dioxide, and glass is a cooled down liquid form of silicon dioxide...it would make sense!

Answer 2

Yes quite a few of hte Oilwells burned in Kuwait, and it was hot enough to turn the sand to glass around them... Have you ever seen the move Sweet Home Alabama, it has piece in the movie where the Main Character uses lightening rods in the to make Glass Sculptures from lightening strikes, it was rather kewl looking...you may be able to google it and ask about lighteningh strikes in sand?? or something like that

Answer 3

It's true, but the temperature needs to be massively hot! The sand-to-glass thing is described in the movie 'Sweet Home Alabama' (with Reese Witherspoon), although the glass in that case was made by lightening. It's not the prettiest looking thing (unlike what the movie makes you think) but it's still pretty cool!

Answer 4

Sure it's possible. All glass starts as fine sand and then it is melted and made into stuff. Huge fires like burning oil fields generate massive amounts of heat and could surely melt sand into glass.

Answer 5

sand is the main componant of glass, sand with a high silica content and usually mixed with borax, however very high heat will turn most any sand into a low grade of glass. just look up on a search engine the glass making process.

Answer 6

Very possible and true.
You can visit any Glass Plant and see for yourself how they melt sand (& other materials) into glass bottles. We have a plant in the San Joaquin valley that my son-in-law works in at the "hot" end. He is always so tanned just from the heat!

Answer 7

actualy sand has been turned into glass many times by humans and by nature. when testing nukes they glassed over a large section of desert. (now raioactive glass). sand also will turn to glass when heated from metiorites hitting sand. also some other glass is made by volcanic activity, obsidian.

Answer 8

glass is made from sand, the glasses you drink from used to be sand,,,,,,sand at extremely high temperatures, turns into a liquid...glass.

Answer 9

it's probably true. when lightening strikes sand it creates a glass flame. very cool looking.

Answer 10

its possible. try googling it. you might already have glass made from sand. but i think that its more expensive