2006-10-03 11:57:52 · 9 answers · asked by jarynth5 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Some of the funniest answers here... But none seems rigorous enough.
2006-10-03 12:35:51 · update #1
Glass is considered a supercooled liquid. If you have a really old pane of glass, you'll actually find that the top is thinner than the bottom because the glass molecules have migrated because of gravity to the bottom.
But what determines the state a substance/mixture is in is chemical composition, under what pressure it is in (higher pressure means higher boiling points and freezing points; lower pressure means lower boiling and freezing points), and the temperature/heat energy it has.
2006-10-03 12:05:59 · answer #1 · answered by anonymous 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Glass is always a liquid, even when its cooled. Its a very viscous liquid that flows v-e-r-y slowly. Think about other liquids. Water flows freely. Pancake syrup is thicker. Molasses is very thick. Glass is extremely thick. If you go to some of the very old cathedrals in Europe you'll see that the windows are thicker at the bottom than at the top. The glass has been flowing slowly for long enough that you can actually see the effect.
Why is glass a liquid and flour a solid? It has to do with the arrangement of molecules and how tightly they bond with each other. It's a chemistry question and I'm chem-stupid. Hopefully, an intelligent person will drop by for a visit.
2006-10-03 12:12:39 · answer #2 · answered by angry 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Glass is a solid when it is in it's cooled form ..but heated to the proper temperature it becomes a liquid. Flour is a solid no matter how high you heat it it would burn but never become a liquid or a true gas.
2006-10-03 12:00:34 · answer #3 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Glass is a liquid because it has no crystalline structure. Flour does, that is the atoms are arranged in neat rows and layers. In glass, the atoms are in a random order. That's why glass is transparent- there's no atomic structure to block the transmission of light rays.
2006-10-03 12:21:33 · answer #4 · answered by kevpet2005 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the others are right about the glass......as for flour, don't think of it as a cup of flour, or a bowl of flour. You are confusing yourself by thinking that it takes the shape of its container (liquid characteristic). Think of a single, individual grain of flour. It is comparable to a grain of sand.....which is obviously a solid.
2006-10-03 12:07:43 · answer #5 · answered by mhovanes21 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
flour is a solid cause its a solid. look at it. i wouldn't call that gas or liquid. glass is a cooled liquid, which makes it, ta-da, a solid.
2006-10-03 12:07:25 · answer #6 · answered by Edward Laham 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Glass is not a liquid. It can be made into a liquid by melting it. The idea that glass is a liquid is propagated by urban legend. Its not true.
2006-10-03 12:00:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Both are solids, and that is due to their molecular structure.
2006-10-10 05:06:26 · answer #8 · answered by Dave S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
COS I WOULDNT WANT TO DRINK LAGER OUT OF FLOUR AND MAKE CAKES WITH GLASS YOU NUMPTY!
2006-10-03 12:06:24 · answer #9 · answered by kevthekat 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋