2007-01-28 15:42:42 · 15 answers · asked by The King 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
so far no one that has answered is correct, because you are missing one main factor that makes a mineral a mineral:
It must be naturally occuring...
So I need to find out if there is such a thing as naturally occuring window glass...sounds stupid, but it's legit
2007-01-28 17:30:09 · update #1
glass is usually produced when the viscous molten material cools very rapidly to below its glass transition temperature, without sufficient time for a regular crystal lattice to form. So glass in general (either it is synthetic or natural) is not a mineral since it doesnt have a crystal lattice. And you can add too that the glass made by human is not naturally occuring so its not a mineral ..
2007-01-28 23:34:12 · answer #1 · answered by Geo06 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No window glass itself is not a mineral - however it is made up of several minerals.
If you already "knew" the answer then why did you ask the question? The chances of some natural event creating what we use as window glass are very very very low. There are several forms of naturally occuring glass (obsidian being a good example), but I have never heard of somebody finding a naturally formed pane of window glass.
2007-01-28 22:22:53 · answer #2 · answered by brooks b 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think I would call it a man made rock, because it contains more than one mineral usually. Yes there is such a thing as a glass that occurs in nature, the felsic extrusive rock Obsidian, is also known as "Volcanic Glass". It cooled so quickly that it shows little if any crystalline structure. Tachylyte is a similar rock, but with a basaltic composition.
2007-01-28 17:39:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Is quartz a mineral? How about silica? That;s what window glass is made from. Window glass is a combination of minerals, a compound. Older window glass, from many years ago was a more pure composition, thus you could see wavy lines and inclusions of small air bubbles in it. Older window glass was more akin to blown glass. Modern window glass has much added to it to give it more clarity, and strength, and sometimes tint, but it still contains the same basic minerals.
2007-01-28 17:23:23 · answer #4 · answered by mlw6366 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Answer - Yes, it's silicon which is a mineral element. Glass as we know it DOES occur naturally but is rare. Sometimes when lightning strikes sandy soil it melts the silica and it fuses together into a lightning bolt shape a few feet into the ground before it disperses .
2007-01-28 19:26:03 · answer #5 · answered by mazaker2000 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes. It is Silicon Dioxide ( SiO2 ) which is basically sand, to which small amounts of other minerals like lime are added, heated until molten, poured and cooled in sheets. Interestingly, glass is not a solid, it is a supercooled liquid. Quartz is also mostly SiO2.
2007-01-28 16:40:24 · answer #6 · answered by CLICKHEREx 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look at it this way: is my cast iron skillet a mineral? It is, ain't it, even though it has been refined, purified and molded into a useful cooking implement. Just so: glass is made of refined and processed and molded (or pressed, or sometimes blown) silica, one of the most common minerals on earth. So you tell me - is glass a mineral or not?
2007-01-28 15:54:17 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sort of. Anything on the Periodic Table that's not a gas can be considered a mineral. In this case, it is silicon. Actually, glass is a liquid. A very slow liquid.
2007-01-28 15:47:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not a naturally occuring one; could be classified as a liquid because over a long period of time it flows from top to bottom due to the force of gravity
2007-01-28 16:19:36 · answer #9 · answered by CA Bravo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
glass is made by heating sand to a high temperature. so in a way it is a mineral b/c i believe sand is some type of mineral.
2007-01-28 15:49:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋