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2007-04-28 04:19:40 · 20 answers · asked by T O 1 in Science & Mathematics Physics

20 answers

Glass is a FLUID

It seems solid enough, but if you look at very old glass - stuff that has been around 50 years or more like very old glass windows - you can see that it gets thinner at the top and thicker at the bottom. It has flowed very slowly but still definitely flowed over many many years.

Hmmm

Guess I'm wrong about glass being a fluid.

Scratch that "thicker at the bottom" theory - have a read of the wikipedia page. Looks like the glass panes were inserted thicker at the bottom because they were more stable that way!

"Glass is generally treated as an amorphous solid rather than a liquid, though different views can be justified since characterizing glass as either 'solid' or 'liquid' is not an entirely straightforward matter.[5] However, the notion that glass flows to an appreciable extent over extended periods of time is not supported by empirical research or theoretical analysis.
...
Although glass has properties of a supercooled liquid, it is generally classed as solid at room temperature."

Pitch is much more obviously a liquid than glass.

2007-04-28 04:21:17 · answer #1 · answered by Orinoco 7 · 1 0

There are several different types of glass.
Some of them are solid and some are fluid.

Only molten glass is a liquid.

Depending on the TYPE of glass, some VERY old window panes can be observed to have a downward flow due to gravity.

The reason that they had so many problems with the Hubble Telescope when they first put it into orbit is because the company that made the lenses did not take the distortion of the glass due to gravity into account when they made them.
.

2007-04-28 13:30:55 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

A more interesting question is where does this myth of windows slowly flowing down come from? It is clearly wrong but it just does not go away and looking at the above answers loads of people still believe it.
If glass flows at room temperature optics would be impossible, if a lens distorts by even a tiny amount it has drastic effects.

2007-04-28 15:50:07 · answer #3 · answered by m.paley 3 · 0 0

That's a good question. I think that it could be classified as both a solid and a liquid, because it's in a liquid state before it is formed. Also, if yoiu look at really old windows, you would see that the bottom of the window is somewhat thicker than the top because over time, the glass "flows" a bit more to the bottom, something that a liquid would do. Solid or liquid? I'm not sure...

2007-04-28 11:23:02 · answer #4 · answered by •°o.O.nenna.O.o°• 4 · 1 2

YES
solids have fixed atom / moleculespositions
In gases the molecules dash about all over the place

Liquids molecules move around a little
This explains why solids stay still, liquids move about a bit and you can't catch gas

Glass molucules move about VERY slowly
Over time it , it acts like treacle and slumps:
than is it slides over itself to tries and find the least energy state

An old window pane of glass ( 100 years or more) becomes measurably thicker at the bottom than the top.


Glass is also very strong ... but brittle it cantot tolerate stress raisers such as sharp scores or scratches

2007-04-28 11:30:58 · answer #5 · answered by SPARKFISH 4 · 0 2

Glass is a uniform material of arguable phase ( "phase" is used to describe either a gas, liquid, or solid), 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.

2007-04-28 11:27:43 · answer #6 · answered by arywan 1 · 0 0

Yes, that's why, if you go to the vomitorium and put a piece of glass in the toilet, it will swirl down the drain in a counter-clockwise direction.

Just kidding. It's a solid. This is one of the most enduring myths in physics. Every semester college professors explain to their students that "No, it's not a fluid; it's a solid" and the next semester they have to do it again.

2007-04-28 13:32:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Glass if a very high viscosity fluid. It appears solid but it does flow over time. Check out new windows then look at some that are very old. You will notice that the old windows are wavy. That is due to the flow of the glass.

2007-04-28 11:24:11 · answer #8 · answered by magix151 7 · 1 2

Apparently there is still debate about this question between professionals even to this day. Two things I do know are, it's chemical bonds are similar to a liquid, but it's physical state is similar to solids. You can come to your own conclusion, but there are some great sources at page listed below.

2007-04-28 11:42:09 · answer #9 · answered by Ben 1 · 0 0

glass is a solid - and search for your question before asking - this has been asked at least 2 times before and the answers arent gonna change much!

2007-04-28 12:06:12 · answer #10 · answered by hobgoblin 2 · 0 0

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